Anthony Fauci has been criticized for insisting that children must still wear masks outdoors, with one opponent accusing him of speaking ‘total, complete, blood-boiling nonsense’.
The nation’s top public health expert, who has been appointed Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, spoke to Today on Wednesday morning.
In an interview that left viewers with more questions than answers, host Savannah Guthrie tried to get clarity on the new Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) guidelines.
On Tuesday the CDC updated its advice, to say that fully-vaccinated people could now be outside safely, in small groups, without a face mask. In large crowds, face masks are still recommended.
Fully vaccinated means having had the full course – two shots for Pfizer and Moderna, one for Johnson & Johnson – and waiting two weeks for it to take effect.
People under 16 cannot yet be vaccinated, and so must continue to wear face masks in public – indoors and out.
Guthrie told Fauci she found the CDC guidelines confusing, describing it as ‘a strange situation’.
Anthony Fauci on Wednesday morning appeared on Today, speaking to Savannah Guthrie
She told him she was not fully vaccinated, and recounted a story.
‘I walked to pick up my little girl at the bus stop yesterday, I took off my mask, I waited for her, when there was no one else around. She got off the bus with her little mask on,’ Guthrie said.
‘She had to wear her mask, I didn’t on the way home.’
Guthrie appeared to be contravening the rules herself because, not being fully vaccinated, she should wear her mask in public, even outdoors.
Fauci did not correct her, but attempted to explain why children were still required to wear masks.
‘When children are out in the community – when you have 30, 40, 50,000 new infections per day – they are unvaccinated now because children can’t get vaccinated now,’ he said.
The pair discussed face masks for children, with both appearing to confuse the other
‘For that reason, they are more at risk of getting infected because they are out in the community, where there is a lot of infection.
‘When the community level starts to go way down, the risk to everybody including the children is going to be dramatically diminished.’
He said children would likely begin to be vaccinated later this year.
The pair then further muddied the waters.
‘If your child is a member of your household, can you walk outdoors with your child, without wearing a mask – the answer is yes,’ said Fauci, contravening the guidelines.
Under the guidelines, you can only be outdoors in public without a mask if you are fully vaccinated.
Guthrie then responded: ‘But the child can’t?’
‘Yes,’ Fauci said.
A child wearing a face mask plays basketball in New York City in July
The confusing interview left many nonplussed.
New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz attacked Fauci, saying America should ignore his advice.
‘This is total, complete, blood-boiling nonsense and contradicts Fauci’s comment on Sunday that “The risk when you’re outdoors – which we have been saying all along – is extremely low”’ she tweeted.
‘It’s low for everyone but especially for kids. Stop listening to this man.’
Nick Searcy, the outspoken conservative actor and director, went further, saying: ‘Forcing children to wear masks is insane child abuse, and parents and teachers who put masks on these children should be ashamed of themselves.
‘It is sickening, nonsensical, and shows a lack of critical thinking skills as well as an alarming docility in the face of tyranny.’