Fmr FDA Chief Pushes for Universal Masking: The CDC Needs to Change Its Guidance

Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb advocated for universal masking on MSNBC Wednesday and again expressed bewilderment at masks becoming a political issue during the coronavirus pandemic.

Gottlieb told Katy Tur that the CDC guidance needs to change to tell people they should be wearing masks at all times outside of their homes. “The masks aren’t 100% protective, but they’re the simplest thing that we can do to try to reduce the rate of transmission.”

“I’m not sure how this became a political issue in some of these states, but it is an important thing to do collectively to get this under control,” he added.

Gottlieb says he favors universal masking, arguing,, “We require people to wear seat belts to protect themselves and lower insurance premiums. Woe could mandate masking in a setting of an epidemic with a dangerous pathogen, we could tell consumers they have to wear a mask when they go outside their homes.”

He acknowledged there would have to be enforcement, “but it doesn’t need to be people get locked up” and can be done in a way “that doesn’t really infringe on people’s individual liberties.”

“If we end up having to reach for stay-at-home orders and have to shut down businesses again, which is already happening across the country, that’s a far greater infringement on people’s personal liberties, and if we can’t open schools in the fall, that’s going to really be devastating and right now in a lot of these states that have these large epidemics under way… it’s going to be hard for them to open local school districts come this fall. They have to make the decisions in about a month and this isn’t going to be over in a month,” he added.

You can watch above, via MSNBC.