Conspiracy theorist and COVID disinformation spreader Scott Atlas has resigned as Trump's special coronavirus adviser.

Dr. Scott Atlas, President Trump’s special adviser on the coronavirus pandemic, formally resigned from his post on Monday, Fox News has learned.

Fox News obtained Atlas’s resignation letter Monday, which was dated Dec. 1. In it, Atlas touted the Trump administration's work on the coronavirus pandemic, while wishing "all the best" to the incoming Biden administration.

Earlier this month, Atlas came under fire for suggesting that people should invite their elderly relatives for Thanksgiving because it might be their last.

His harsh advice contradicted that of most public health experts who advised families not to gather for fear of spreading the coronavirus.

Atlas, a neuroradiologist with no experience in public health, made the remark as he attacked lockdowns on Fox News for 'isolating' people.

'This kind of isolation is [also] a tragedy of the elderly who are now being told "don't see your family at Thanksgiving",' he told host Martha MacCallum at the time.

His advice ran counter to that issued by Dr Anthony Fauci, America's top infectious disease adviser since 1984, who said people need to avoid large gatherings this year - especially those involving the elderly.

'People should be very careful about social gatherings, particularly when members of the family might be at a risk because of their age,' Fauci said last month.

'You may have to bite the bullet and sacrifice that social gathering unless you’re pretty certain that the people that you’re dealing with are not infected.'

A little over a week ago, Stanford University faculty members voted to condemn Atlas for spreading misinformation about the pandemic.

The Stanford Faculty Senate (SFS) announced the vote on a resolution which passed with 85 per cent approval in a scathing statement, calling Atlas' actions 'anathema to our values and belief that we should use knowledge for good'.

'As elected representatives of the Stanford faculty, we strongly condemn his behavior,' the resolution said of Atlas, a senior fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institute.

'It violates the core values of our faculty and the expectations under the Stanford Code of Conduct, which states that we all "are responsible for sustaining the high ethical standards of this institution.'"

The resolution outlined a number of statements for which Atlas has faced significant criticism in recent weeks - including criticizing lockdowns, discouraging the use of masks and claiming that only those who are vulnerable need protection from the virus.

It accused Atlas of spreading disinformation that not only 'contradicts medical science' but also damages Stanford's 'reputation and academic standing'.

[link to www.dailymail.co.uk (secure)]