WASHINGTON, D.C. – They meet in the windowless Situation Room, every day but Sunday, drawing an overflow crowd.
Fueled by coffee, donuts and data, members of the White House coronavirus task force fill the secure basement conference room to parse new disease patterns as they weigh next steps in the fight against a virus that has dramatically altered American lives.
On one recent morning, renowned infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci was conferenced in by telephone when he shared news that landed like a gut punch: World Health Organization data showed that younger people were becoming seriously ill at higher rates than previously reported.