We are learning more about the advance notice Donald Trump was given about coronavirus and how acting earlier could have made a big difference. As we reported earlier, from the New York Times, “An examination reveals the president was warned about the potential for a pandemic but that internal divisions, lack of planning and his faith in his own instincts led to a halting response.” The story reveals that some White House officials were rattled by coronavirus going back to early January. Today CNN’s Jake Tapper spoke with the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci about this. Here’s an important part of the exchange:

Tapper: “The New York Times” reported yesterday that you and other top officials wanted to recommend social and physical distancing guidelines to president trump as far back as the third week of February, but the administration didn’t announce such guidelines to the American public until March 16th, almost a month later. Why? 

Fauci: Jake, as I’ve said many times, we look at it from a pure health standpoint. We make a recommendation. Often the recommendation is taken. Sometimes it’s not. But it is what it is. We are where we are right now.

Tapper: Do you think lives could have been saved if social distancing, physical distancing, stay-at-home measures, had started the third week of February instead of mid-March?

Fauci: You know, Jake, again, it’s the what would have, what could have. It’s very difficult to go back and say that. I mean, obviously you could logically say that if you had a process that was ongoing and you started mitigation earlier, you could have saved lives. Obviously no one is going to deny that. But what goes into those kinds of decisions is complicated. But you’re right, I mean, obviously, if we had right from the very beginning shut everything down, it may have been a little bit different. But there was a lot of pushback about shutting things down back then.”

The bottom line is earlier action could have saved lives.

Watch more of the interview above.