Dr. Anthony Fauci is once again making recommendations, and discussed the possibility of a return to mask-wearing in the United States due to a seasonal increase in COVID cases and hospitalizations.
Some doctors, however, have expressed varying opinions on the effectiveness and necessity of mask mandates. Dr. Brett Osborn, a neurosurgeon in Florida, pointed to “limited efficacy data” for masks, particularly in the context of widespread disease transmission. He argued that the population will inevitably be exposed to the virus and its variants, regardless of mask usage, and questioned the need for further mandates.
Cnn host CONFRONTS Dr Fauci with study showing masks did not work pic.twitter.com/9xbMyKK2CB
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Dr. Osborn noted that masks may offer some protection for consistent wearers but emphasized that this limited efficacy, supported by only a few randomized trials, does not justify additional mask mandates, Fox News Digital reports.
He also mentioned the cyclical nature of COVID-19 and suggested that the virus is here to stay, making intermittent fluctuations in cases the new norm. He advised individuals with symptoms to consider wearing masks to protect at-risk people but recommended avoiding contact and practicing good hygiene as effective measures against the spread of the virus.
Jesse Watters on Fauci: "Do what everybody else does: Retire and go fishing, and shut the heck up Tony." pic.twitter.com/Y9xzR1qd2U
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Another physician, Dr. Shana Johnson in Arizona, expressed concerns about the impact of in-school masking mandates on children, particularly those with autism. She observed that schools had strict policies under mask mandates, leading to discipline and shaming of students who struggled with mask-wearing. Johnson argued that forcing children with sensory sensitivities to wear masks discriminated against them due to their disabilities.
Dr. Laura Purdy, a family medicine physician in Tennessee, acknowledged that COVID cases would likely increase during the cold and flu season. She anticipated that people would respond similarly to how they did during the initial pandemic.
