Doctor Fauci: Double Masking ‘Just Makes Common Sense’

According to Doctor Anthony Fauci, wearing two masks “just makes common sense” and “likely does” offer better protection against COVID-19.

Dr. Fauci appeared on NBC News’ ‘Today’ show with Savannah Guthrie, who asked him whether wearing two masks could help slow transmission of COVID-19.

“A lot of folks are hearing now about double masking, wearing two masks or trying to get one of those N95 medical grade masks, do you believe that that’s effective?” Guthrie asked.

“You know it likely does,” Fauci replied. “Because I mean this is a physical covering to prevent droplets and virus to get in. So, if you have a physical covering with one layer, you put another layer on, it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective.

“And that’s the reason why you see people either double masking or doing a version of an N95,” Fauci said.

So far, it is unclear whether there are any scientific studies to support the claim that wearing two masks is better than wearing only one.

And if two is better than one, does wearing three offer even more protection than wearing two? Does sporting four stop more virus than three?

The Daily Citizen reached out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), inquiring whether it had any official position on double masking, but did not receive a response.

As of now, the CDC only recommends that “people wear masks in public settings, like on public and mass transportation, at events and gatherings, and anywhere they will be around other people.”

After the CDC changed its guidance last year, recommending the use of medical or cloth masks, for months it said that masks did not help protect the wearer from COVID-19. “CDC guidance on masks has clearly stated that wearing a mask is intended to protect other people in case the mask wearer is infected. At no time has CDC guidance suggested that masks were intended to protect the wearers,” the CDC stated last fall.

Then on November 10, it updated its guidance once again, stating, “Masks also help reduce inhalation of these droplets (virus-laden droplets) by the wearer.”

It remains to be seen whether the CDC will update its recommendations once again and suggest Americans “double mask.”

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Photo from Sipa USA/REUTERS