(Headline USA) Former COVID czar Dr. Anthony Fauci complained this weekend that Americans are reluctant to follow masking guidance again as COVID cases rise.
“I am concerned that people will not abide by recommendations,” Fauci told CNN on Saturday. “I would hope that if we get to the point that the volume of cases is such and organizations like the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] recommend – CDC does not mandate anything – that people wear masks, I would hope that people abide by that recommendation and take into account the risks to themselves and their families.”
When asked about a Cochrane review released earlier this year that concluded there was little to no evidence that masks prevent the spread of COVID-19, Fauci claimed there are other studies that show masking offers a benefit to individuals.
“When you’re talking about the effect on the pandemic as a whole, the data is less strong,” Fauci said. “But when you talk about an individual basis of someone protecting themselves … there’s no doubt that there’s many studies that show that there is an advantage [to masks].”
The Cochrane study, led by 12 researchers from universities around the world, found that “wearing a mask may make little to no difference in how many people caught a flu-like illness/COVID-like illness (nine studies; 276,917 people); and probably makes little or no difference in how many people have flu/COVID confirmed by a laboratory test (six studies; 13,919 people).”
Some companies and universities are bringing back mask mandates amid an uptick in positive case numbers. Even the White House announced on Tuesday that President Joe Biden plans to wear masks indoors over the next few weeks after First Lady Jill Biden tested positive.
“He will be masking while indoors and around people in alignment with CDC guidance,” White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre said.
