Former Food and Drug Administration head Dr. Scott Gottlieb is questioning whether there should be new universal mask-wearing guidance implemented as he believes the current surge in COVID-19 cases will be over in a matter of weeks.
During an appearance on CNBC on Wednesday, Gottlieb acknowledged that the delta variant of the virus is more transmissible and that some people who have been vaccinated against the virus “are developing mild and asymptomatic infections.”
He also noted that vaccinated people may be able to transmit the virus.
However, he said, “Whether or not that should then translate into general guidance for the entire population that if you’re vaccinated, you should wear a mask. I don’t think that’s the case.”
“I don’t think we’re gonna get enough bang for our buck by telling vaccinated people they have to wear masks at all times to make it worth our while. I think we’re further into this delta wave than we’re picking up. I’ve been saying that for weeks. I think in another two or three weeks, we’ll be through this,” he continued.
Finally, he argued that the newest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that vaccinated people should wear a mask in certain situations will have a “negligible impact.”
Instead, he suggested the guidance should be, “If you are vaccinated in a high prevalence area, in contact with the virus, you think you might have the virus because you have mild symptoms of it be prudent, get tested, maybe wear a mask especially if you are around a vulnerable person.”
Watch the video below:
"If you are vaccinated in a high prevalence area, in contact with virus, you think you might have the virus because you have mild symptoms–be prudent, get tested, maybe wear a mask especially if you are around a vulnerable person," says @ScottGottliebMD. pic.twitter.com/LFlMffkfe9
— Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) July 28, 2021
His comments come as the U.S. is seeing another rise in the number of new coronavirus cases.
On Tuesday, the country recorded 108,755 new cases, numbers not seen since February of this year as the delta variant spreads throughout the country.
In a bid to help stop the spread of the virus, the CDC issued new mask guidance that recommends vaccinated people wear masks indoors in areas with “substantial” or “high” transmission of the virus, which as CNN notes, covers roughly two-thirds of all counties.
