Fauci’s mistake on masks was driven by bad economics, not uncertain science

Published April 13, 2021 6:41pm ET



Anthony Fauci has admitted to flip-flopping on mask-wearing guidance. Well, not exactly.

On Sunday, MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan replayed a 60 Minutes clip from March 8, 2020, in which the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director said, “Right now in the United States, people should not be walking around with masks.” Asked whether he was wrong back then, especially given the Chinese and South Koreans were already wearing masks, Fauci actually offered a spirited defense of his ultimate U-turn, alluding to the famous dictum that “when the facts change, I change my mind.”

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