President-Elect Joe Biden just announced the members of his COVID advisory board on Monday, Nov. 9. The 13-member board, which will replace the current White House coronavirus task force when Biden takes office in January, will be led by three co-chairs: former FDA commissioner David Kessler, MD; former surgeon general Vivek Murthy, MD; and Marcella Nunez-Smith, MD, associate professor of internal medicine, public health, and management at Yale University. One name, however, was noticeably absent from Biden's COVID task force: the country's most recognizable authority on all things coronavirus, Anthony Fauci, MD.

Before you start forming conspiracy theories, read on to discover why Fauci won't be on the new Biden-appointed board and to learn more COVID-related details about the upcoming transfer of presidential power. And for more coronavirus developments, check out These States Are Starting to Lock Down Again.

Read the original article on Best Life.

1

Fauci is still on Trump's task force.

Speaking to Newsweek, Jeff Schlegelmilch, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University's Earth Institute, explained that because Fauci is currently on Trump's task force, it would be "inappropriate" for Biden to name him to his advisory board at this point in the process. And for more on how things are going across the U.S., check out the States That Now Have Curfews Again Due to COVID Surges

2

Deborah Birx was also missing from Biden's list.

Deborah Birx, MD, who currently serves as coordinator of the Trump administration's coronavirus task force has also been left off Biden's list for the time being—at least in part for the same reason Fauci was. According to CNN, Birx has privately expressed interest in maintaining a similar role under the Biden administration. However, as of now there is no indication of how will play out. And to learn more about the latest sign of coronavirus infection, check out This Strange Symptom May Be the Earliest Sign You Have COVID, Study Says.

3

Fauci is expected to be brought on after the transfer of power.

Fauci has advised six U.S. presidents in the last several decades. And with both Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris having been publicly supportive of the infectious disease expert, he will likely do the same for a seventh, experts say. We'll just have to wait a few weeks to find out.

"Naming Fauci to a Biden task force might anger Trump even further, to the point of removing Fauci from his post now, which I think would shake public confidence at a crucial point in the pandemic," Wendy J. Schiller-Kalunian, professor of public and international affairs at Brown University, told Newsweek. And for more up-to-date information delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.

4

Birx's future at the White House is much more uncertain.

While Fauci seems like a shoo-in once Biden begins his presidency, Birx is not a sure thing. According to experts consulted for the same Newsweek article, she has drawn criticism from both parties, and "Biden has not commented on Birx or her potential position in his administration." And for more COVID symptoms that have recently come to light, check out If Everything You Drink Smells Like This, You May Have COVID, Experts Say.