Dr. Fauci Admits Feds Initially Misled About Face Masks: ‘Wanted to Make Sure Health Care Workers’ Had Enough
By Rudy TakalaJun 16th, 2020, 5:38 pm272 comments
The federal government initially told Americans not to wear face masks in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic at least partially to ensure health care workers had an adequate supply, Dr. Anthony Fauci admitted, despite telling the public that masks wouldn’t be effective in stopping the spread of the virus.
“We were concerned the public health community, and many people were saying this, were concerned that it was at a time when personal protective equipment, including the N95 masks and the surgical masks, were in very short supply,” Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and public face head of the federal government’s coronavirus response, told The Street in an interview this week.
The U.S. Surgeon General said in a Feb. 29 tweet, “Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS! They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!”
The tweet was widely panned after the coronavirus gained steam in March and the guidance changed to advise Americans to wear masks. Fauci this week urged Americans to wear masks if they attend President Donald Trump’s rally on Friday — but also said he had not spoken to the president in two weeks.
Explaining why the guidance on masks had evolved, Fauci also argued that health officials in February did not know that cloth coverings could be as effective at inhibiting the virus as medical masks.
“We also know that simple cloth coverings that many people have can work as well as a mask in many cases,” he added. “So even though there appears to be some contradiction of ‘You were saying this then, why are you saying this now,’ actually, the circumstances have changed, that’s the reason why.
Watch above via The Street.
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