Anthony Fauci said publicly that COVID-19 was ten times more deadly than ordinary influenza. But in private he said something quite different: that COVID was on a par with influenza, which has a fatality rate of 0.1–0.2 per cent.

In an entry from February 2020, Fauci noted the number of cases as well as his numerous media appearances. He also assumed that the virus’s fatality rate was “closer to 0.2–0.3% than 2.0%”.

The entry reads:

Tom Frieden called me this morning, and we discussed various aspects of the outbreak. He and I agree that [sic] this behaves like a severe seasonal flu in terms of transmissibility, and that the denominator is much larger than 34,867 (above), making the case fatality rate (CFR) closer to 0.2–0.3% than 2.0%. However, that was not what Fauci was saying publicly at the time.

During an appearance in March on Hannity, Fauci said that the fatality rate for the coronavirus was “about 2–2.5 per cent”.

“The mortality rate for seasonal influenza is 0.1 per cent. The mortality rate for this is about 2–2.5 per cent. It is probably lower than that. It is probably closer to one. But even if it is one, it is ten times more deadly than seasonal influenza. You have to make sure that people understand that,” Fauci said.

He also lied to Congress.

That same month, Fauci highlighted the same figures once again when he testified before Congress:

Well, you have to realise that the seasonal influenza that we deal with every year has a mortality rate of 0.1 per cent. The stated overall mortality rate for this, when you look at all the data, including China, is about 3 per cent. It was first 2, and now it is 3. I think that if you count all the cases of infection with minimal symptoms or no symptoms, it will probably bring the mortality rate down to around one per cent, meaning that it is ten times more deadly than seasonal influenza.

I think that is something people can relate to and understand. I mean, people always say: “Well, influenza. You know, influenza does this. Influenza does that. Influenza has a mortality rate of 0.1 per cent.” This has a mortality rate that is ten times higher. And that is why I want to emphasise that we must stay one step ahead when it comes to preventing this.