WASHINGTON, D.C. – Joe Biden painted a very different picture of the COVID-19 pandemic than President Donald Trump during his first briefing as the nation's president-elect on Monday.
"We are still facing a very dark winter," Biden said after a briefing with his advisers in Delaware.
Biden announced a new COVID-19 advisory board.
The group will be co-chaired by Dr. David Kessler, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner; Dr. Vivek Murthy, a former surgeon general of the United States; and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, a public health professor at Yale University.
"Please wear a mask," Biden implored those watching.
WHAT WOULD CHANGE UNDER BIDEN
When President-elect Biden takes office, more than just "presidential tone" will change.
"They are going to allow the evidence to be back in the driver seat," said Dr. Jon Andrus, an adjunct professor of global health at The George Washington University.
Some of the potential changes include: a national mask mandate, more guidance to governors and mayors, increased reliance on international health groups, and more testing and contact tracing.
"Lessons learned from many countries, such as those in southeast Asia, show aggressive testing and contracting tracing works," Andrus said.
Biden's statement to the media came on the same day Pfizer released promising news about a potential vaccine, saying it 90% effective in some of their trials.