A 3D-printed model of the Coronavirus belonging to Dr Anthony Fauci is making its way to The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.
Fauci, who serves as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the US and is the public face of the US government’s pandemic response, donated the model to the museum to be part of its forthcoming In Sickness and Health exhibition.
The donation was made during a live-streamed event in early March, where Fauci was awarded The Smithsonian’s Great Americans Medal for his decades-long career fighting infectious diseases including tuberculosis, HIV/Aids and COVID-19.
“Dr Fauci has helped save millions of lives and advanced the treatment and our understanding of infectious and immunologic diseases across more than five decades of public service. His humanitarianism and dedication truly exemplify what it means to be a Great American,” said museum director Anthea M. Hartig.
In Sickness and Health
Smithsonian curators are currently collecting objects related to the COVID-19 pandemic for In Sickness and Health, which explores more than 200 years of medical history in the US.
Fauci was asked to donate a personal item to the experience and selected the model, which depicts a melon-sized Coronavirus cell with its spike proteins and has previously been used to explain the virus and its transmission to members of Congress and former President Donald Trump.
“I wanted to pick something that was really meaningful to me and important because I used it so often,” Fauci told The New York Times
“It’s a really phenomenally graphic way to get people to understand,” he added.
The exhibition will also feature other materials related to Fauci and his work, including items already in The Smithsonian’s collection such as a 1995 recorded interview that forms part of the John-Manuel Andriote “Victory Deferred: How AIDS changed Gay Life in America” oral history collection, and a photo of a man wearing a ‘Fauci’ t-shirt taken by Francesca Magnani. Digital submissions from the public will also be included.
Dr Fauci made the donation during a live-streamed event CREDIT: SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY
