Dr. Anthony Fauci talks with Dr Jon LaPook about COVID-19

LaPook: “There’s a lot of confusion among people and confusion surrounding face masks. Can you discuss that?

Fauci: “The masks are important for someone who's infected to prevent them from infecting someone else. Now, when you see people and look at the films in China and South Korea whatever, everybody's wearing a mask. Right now in the United States people should not be walking around with masks.”

LaPook: “You're sure of it? Because people are listening really closely to this.”

Fauci: “Right now, people should not be worried. There's no reason to be walking around with a mask. When you're in the middle of an outbreak, wearing a mask might make people feel a little bit better and it might even block a droplet but it's not providing the perfect protection that people think that it is. And often there are unintended consequences. People keep fiddling with the mask and they keep touching their face.”

LaPook: “And can you get some schmutz sort of staying inside there?”

Fauci: “Of course, but when you think mask you should think of health care providers needing them and people who are ill. The people who when you look at the films of foreign countries and you see 85% of the people wearing masks that's fine, that's fine. I'm not against it if you want to do it that's fine.”

LaPook: “But it can lead to a shortage of masks?”

Fauci: “Exactly. That's the point. It could lead to a shortage of masks for the people who really need it.”