Flip-Flopping Fauci Says Not to Blame Him for Lockdowns, School Closures He Advocated for

Dr. Fauci Admits Mistakes Were Made in COVID-19 Response

Dr. Anthony Fauci, former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recently spoke to The New York Times Magazine about the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While he acknowledged that mistakes were made, he emphasized that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the surgeon general were not economic organizations and therefore made decisions from a purely public-health standpoint. Fauci also clarified that he did not personally shut down the economy, but rather gave public-health recommendations that were echoed by the CDC.

Masking Confusion

Fauci also addressed the issue of masking, admitting that he and other officials were not fully aware of the highly transmissible nature of the virus in the beginning. He initially advised against wearing masks before changing his stance and supporting their use. Fauci acknowledged that the culture wars surrounding masking only made things worse and that while he believes masks work, they are not perfect and their effect at the population level can be somewhat small.

COVID-19 Statistics

According to official CDC statistics, over 1.1 million Americans have died from COVID-19-related conditions. The Biden administration has emphasized vaccinations as a way to lower transmission rates and protect against the virus, but vaccine mandates have proven to be polarizing and have resulted in job loss for some who opted not to get vaccinated. The CDC later acknowledged that natural immunity after COVID-19 infection provided strong protection against the virus.

Despite the challenges faced during the pandemic, Fauci remains committed to public health and science-based decision-making.