Washington, Dec 7 (IANS): A request from Anthony Fauci, America's top infectious disease expert, urging people to "wear a mask" in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, topped a Yale Law School librarian's list of the most notable quotes of 2020.

Fauci's plea was made during an interview with CNN on May 21, Xinhua news agency reported.

The list was assembled by Fred Shapiro, an associate director at the library and the editor of the Yale Book of Quotations, which was first published in 2006.

The US currently accounts for world's deadliest outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

As of Monday, the country has registered a total of 14,750,316 confirmed cases with 282,299 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

Meanwhile, "I can't breathe", African-American George Floyd's repetitive plea to the police officer knelt on his knee for nine minutes leading to his death in May, came second on the list.

Several quotes from the presidential campaign also featured in the list, including President-elect Joe Biden telling a student: "You're a lying dog-faced pony soldier."