Rand Paul Aggressively Grills Dr. Fauci on Masks: ‘You’re Wearing Two Masks, Isn’t That Theater?’
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) clashed with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, over U.S. guidance on masks in a Senate hearing on the Covid-19 pandemic.
Paul, a prominent anti-masker who contracted the coronavirus himself last year, cited a number of studies at a Thursday hearing that showed reinfections of the virus are rare.
The Kentucky Republican asked Fauci to provide studies that justify the argument that everyone should wear masks “well into 2022,” given that those who have already been infected or have been vaccinated may not be likely to contract the virus again.
“I’m not sure I understand the connection of what you’re saying about masks and reinfection. We’re talking about people who have never been infected before,” Fauci replied.
Paul clarified he was asking why everyone is being told to wear a mask, even though people who have already been infected likely have natural immunity.
“If we’re not spreading the infection, isn’t it just theater? You have the vaccine and you’re wearing two masks, isn’t that theater?” Paul asked.
“Here we go again with the theater. Let’s get down to the facts,” Fauci replied. He dismissed the studies cited by Paul as being carried out in vitro, and pointed out that studies showing low rates of reinfection do not take into account the increasing prevalence of Covid-19 variants. Natural immunity from the original virus (which Fauci referred to as “wild type”) might not protect against such variants.
“That’s a good reason for a mask,” Fauci said, citing a South African study conducted by J&J which found that people with natural immunity from Covid-19 were not protected against the variant.
Paul demanded Fauci provide studies showing “significant reinfection, hospitalization or death after either natural infection or the vaccine. It doesn’t exist.”
“You’re not hearing what I’m saying about variants,” Fauci protested.
“You’ve been vaccinated and you parade around in two masks for show!” Paul shot back.
“No,” Fauci said. “Let me just state for the record that masks are not theater. They are protective.”
Watch above, via CSPAN.
