White House coronavirus task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci is claiming President Donald Trump took his statements about wearing masks regarding the mitigation of the spread of the novel coronavirus “out of context” during Tuesday night’s first presidential debate with Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
Fauci, 79, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for the past 36 years, took issue with Trump’s statement during the debate that in the spring he said "masks are not good. Then he changed his mind."
“Very early on in the pandemic … there was a shortage of PPE (personal protection equipment) and masks for healthcare providers, who needed them desperately since they were putting their lives and their safety on the line every day," Fauci said. "The feeling was that people who were wanting to have masks in the community, namely just people out in the street, might be hoarding masks and making the shortage of masks even greater. In that context, we said that we did not recommend masks."
Fauci said he later changed his advice once cloth masks were shown to be effective in reducing the spread of the virus.
"The idea of a shortage of masks that would take it away from those who really need it was no longer there because anybody could get a mask."
However, Fauci told “60 Minutes” in March, "There's no reason to be walking around with a mask."
He added that masks may filter out some respiratory droplets, but they do not provide the protection necessary. He also said wearing a mask also may have the opposite of what’s intended since people who wear masks tend to touch their face more often to adjust them, which can spread germs from their hands.
He later added that purchasing surgical masks could create a shortage for health care workers who regularly use them.
On April 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its guidance and recommended the wearing of masks in public places.
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