The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is criticizing a White House coronavirus adviser for spreading misinformation about facial coverings, in a potential escalation of the feud between the administration and public health officials within the federal government.
WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is criticizing a top White House coronavirus adviser for spreading misinformation about facial coverings, in a potential escalation of the feud between the administration and public health officials within the federal government.
“Growing evidence increasingly shows that wearing masks in community settings reduces transmission among individuals in that community,” the statement continued. “There are laboratory studies, animal studies, community and epidemiological studies, as well as policy studies that show masking reduces transmission in communities by blocking exhaled respiratory droplets.”
Atlas’s tweet was subsequently removed for violating Twitter’s rules on spreading misinformation. The social media site has taken a more aggressive stance in regard to conspiracy theories and fake news, including when such items are disseminated by the president himself. While the vast majority of Americans support wearing masks, some backers of the president have steadfastly challenged their efficacy. Some of Trump’s advisers believe that the anti-mask message plays well with his base, which tends to be suspicious of government guidance and scientific expertise. Others, however, see little more than an ongoing distraction that damages Trump every time he is forced to explain his position on masks.
The Department of Health and Human Services also distanced itself from Atlas’s tweets. A representative for the department who asked not to be named noted that HHS chief Alex Azar has “consistently encouraged” social distancing, handwashing and the use of a face covering “when you can’t watch your distance.”
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