NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: In a surprising turn of events, Dr Anthony Fauci, the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the nation's Covid spokesperson, has apparently acknowledged a lack of strong evidence to support the efficacy of mask-wearing in curbing the spread of coronavirus on a CNN interview.

This alleged admission marks a significant shift from his earlier steadfast recommendations for universal mask mandates.

Did Dr Anthony Fauci backtrack his comments on masking benefits?

During the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr Anthony Fauci sternly advocated for the use of face coverings and social distancing as critical measures to combat the virus.

He emphasized the importance of collective responsibility, stating, "If everybody does that, we're each protecting each other. Because the data is, it's more efficient to prevent transmitting to others than it is to prevent transmission to yourself," as per CBS News.

The recommendations led to widespread mask mandates in various settings, including schools, public transportation, restaurants, and workplaces. However, recent revelations from alleged leaked emails and interviews have cast doubts on the effectiveness of such measures.

In a recent interview with CNN host Michael Smerconish, he acknowledged that when assessing the impact of masks on the epidemic as a whole, the data is less robust.

"When you’re talking about the effect on the epidemic or the pandemic as a whole, the data are less strong," said Dr Fauci admitted during the Saturday, September 2 segment., adding, "But there are other studies, Michael, that show at an individual level, for individuals they might be protective."

He also insisted that at the moment "we’re not talking about forcing anybody to do anything."

This shift in Dr Fauci's stance came in response to a study conducted by Tom Jefferson, a senior associate tutor at the University of Oxford, which apparently concluded that there is "just no evidence that they - masks - make any difference. Full stop."

Dr Anthony Fauci faces backlash after his CNN interview

The former White House chief medical adviser Dr Anthony Fauci was blasted by netizens, especially Conservatives, over his apparent hypocrisy when it comes to the efficacy of masking.

"Fauci admits that masks don’t work for the public at large but still absurdly claims masks work on an individual basis. More subterfuge," wrote Senator Rand Paul on X (formerly Twitter).

'Outkick' host Clay Travis added, "Holy s**t @cnn just directly confronted Dr. Fauci on air with bulletproof scientific evidence that masks don’t work at all. It only took three years, but finally!"

"Wow Fauci is SMOKED on masks and he has zero comeback," chimed in, conservative host Liz Wheeler.

Dr Fauci's apparent admission of the data's limitations on a population level coincides with concerns about rising Covid cases and new variants in New York. The city's health department has recommended mask-wearing in crowded indoor spaces over the Labor Day weekend, although it remains voluntary.

Dr Anthony Fauci's past comments regarding masking for Covid-19

It's worth noting that Dr Anthony Fauci defended his earlier mask mandates, citing the scarcity of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare providers at the time.

He said, "I don’t regret anything I said then because, in the context of the time in which I said it, it was correct," to CBS News about his reversal on masking in July 2020.

Dr Fauci added, "We were told in our task force meetings that we have a serious problem with the lack of PPEs and masks for the health providers who are putting themselves in harm’s way every day to take care of sick people."

Furthermore, as recently as December 2021, he maintained that mask-wearing on planes remained prudent despite effective filtration systems, insisting, "Even though you have a good filtration system, I still believe that masks are a prudent thing to do and we should be doing it," as quoted by The Washington Post.

In December 2022, Dr Fauci apparently acknowledged that there is a certain "fatigue" about the mandates pertaining to Covid-19 even as cases begin to climb during the winter months.

Speaking with Fox 5 New York, the ex-head of the NIAID stated, "Local health authorities should be the ones making calls about Covid restrictions, but I am aware that people don't like being told what to do."

He further emphasized, "You would like people to use good judgment to protect themselves and their family," adding, "There is a fatigue about being mandates. People don't like to be told what to do."

Dr Fauci continued, "But when there is an uptick in infections, which is followed by an uptick in hospitalizations, you want to make sure you do something to mitigate against that."