Trump special coronavirus adviser Scott Atlas resigns amid deep divisions

US President Donald Trump's controversial coronavirus adviser Scott Atlas has resigned amid deep divisions among members of the White House virus task force.

A favored coronavirus adviser of the US president, who tweeted in October "Masks work? NO," submitted his resignation on Monday.

Atlas has repeatedly downplayed the importance of masks and this month said lockdowns had been "an epic failure" in stopping the spread of the coronavirus.

During his tenure, the Trump administration issued conflicting messages on mask-wearing, travel and the danger posed by the virus.

Top US health experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading US infectious disease expert, had sharply criticized Atlas, a neuro-radiologist, for providing Trump with misleading or incorrect information on the coronavirus pandemic.

His peers at Stanford University's medical school said in a statement, “Dr. Scott Atlas’ resignation today is long overdue and underscores the triumph of science and truth over falsehoods and misinformation."

"His actions have undermined and threatened public health even as countless lives have been lost to COVID-19. We will continue to advocate for evidence-based public health policies that are grounded in established science, including the use of proven preventative measures like mask-wearing and social-distancing, and the safe testing and delivery of effective therapies and vaccines.”

The resignation comes as hopes rose for a vaccination before the end of the year after US pharmaceutical company Moderna said it was filing for emergency authorization of its vaccine in the United States and Europe.

American pharmaceutical maker Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech have also predicted their vaccine could be greenlit in the US shortly after December 10.

US Health Secretary Alex Azar told CBS News: "We could be seeing both of these vaccines out and getting into people's arms before Christmas."

Top US scientists have in recent days warned Americans to brace for a "surge superimposed on the virus surge."

Fauci voiced his fears as millions of US travelers returned home after the Thanksgiving holiday.

The United States is the worst-affected country, with more than 267,000 COVID-19 deaths.

US voters' unhappiness with Trump's handling of the coronavirus crisis helped propel his challenger, Democrat Joe Biden, to victory in the Nov. 3 presidential election.

"What we expect, unfortunately, as we go for the next couple of weeks into December is that we might see a surge superimposed on the surge we are already in," top US health expert Fauci warned.

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