Dr. Anthony Fauci told CBS This Morning on Friday that Senator Rand Paul is “dead wrong” after the two had a fierce confrontation over putting on a mask in a Senate hearing. Fauci argues that Americans should continue to wear masks even after they are vaccinated against COVID-19 – which Paul dismissed as “theater.”
“Senator Paul has this message that we don’t need masks, which goes against everything we know about how to prevent the spread of the virus,” Fauci, the country’s leading infectious disease expert, told CBS This Morning.
“I was saying that if you got infected or vaccinated, don’t wear any masks, which is totally contrary to all public health principles,” Fauci continued. “So he’s completely wrong. I mean, I have nothing personal against him. But it’s downright wrong.”
Paul, who was an eye doctor before entering politics, is one of Fauci’s strongest critics in Congress and regularly stays with him during COVID-related hearings. They returned to participate Thursday when the Kentucky Republican rejected guidelines for vaccinated people to continue wearing masks in public places.
“Do you want to get rid of the hesitation? Tell them you can stop wearing the mask after receiving the vaccine,” Paul said. “You want people to get vaccinated, give them a reward instead of telling them that babysitting will be there for three more years and you have to wear a mask forever. People don’t want to hear it.”
“Well, let me state that masks are not theater,” Fauci replied. “Masks are protective.”
“If you have immunity, they’re theater,” Paul said. “If you already have immunity you will wear a mask to comfort others.”
“I don’t totally agree with you,” Fauci told him.
Fauci explained that masks can help protect against coronavirus variants which are spreading rapidly in the US and could potentially lead to reinfection of people who already had the virus. Researchers are still studying the extent to which current vaccines will protect against emerging variants.
Fauci has previously said it is possible that Americans will continue to wear masks until 2022. Doctors have pointed out that vaccinated people could COVID still extends, even if they are protected from their symptoms.
The CDC recommends that fully vaccinated Americans continue to wear masks in public, although it says they can have them. visits inside without masks with other vaccinated people and with unvaccinated single-household individuals at low risk for severe COVID disease.