HIM BUT HOW DID %
A MASK BECOME SO %
POLITICAL? %
NBC NEWS %
CORRESPONDENT %
DR. BURNS
EXPLAINS.
>> WE HAVE HEARD
THE WORDS AGAIN %
AND AGAIN. %
>> WEARING A
MASK IS JUST A
GOOD IDEA. %
>> WEAR A MASK, %
PERIOD. %
>> OVER THE LAST %
FEW MONTHS
COUNTLESS %
MEDICAL %
PROFESSIONALS %
AND GOVERNMENT %
LEADERS
REPEATING THE %
PHRASE IN HOPES %
OF SLOWING THE
SPREAD OF COVID-%
19.
NOT EVERYONE HAS %
BEEN ON BOARD. %
>> WHEN YOU WEAR %
A MESS, WHICH %
ARE CERTAINLY %
DUE, IT IS %
CONDEMNING ALL
OF US AND KEEPS
US LIVING IN A
STATE OF TERROR. %
>> WEAR A MASK.
>> I WILL NOT.
IT IS LIKE %
PUTTING A MUZZLE %
ON MY MOUTH TO %
KEEP ME FROM
SPEAKING TO %
PEOPLE. %
>> HOW DID THE %
MASK BECOME %
POLITICAL %
CONTROVERSY? %
SOME ARE BLAMING
THE MIXED %
MESSAGING AT THE %
START OF THE
PANDEMIC WHEN %
THE GOVERNMENT
ADVISED AGAINST %
FACE COVERINGS
>> THE AVERAGE %
AMERICAN DOES %
NOT NEED TO GO %
OUT AND BUY A %
MASK. %
>> THE SURGEON %
GENERAL PLEADED %
FOR AMERICANS TO %
STOP BUYING MASKS
IN FEBRUARY AND % DOCTORS FOLLOWED %
DOCTORS FOLLOWED %
SUIT ON %
AVAILABILITY AT %
THE TIME. %
>> NO, YOU
SHOULD NOT BUY A
FACE MASK. %
>> IF YOU ARE %
HELPING AND
WALKING ABOUT NO %
REASON TO WEAR A %
MASK.
>> Reporter: IN %
APRIL THE CDC %
UPDATE OF THE %
GUIDANCE %
ENCOURAGING YOU
TO WEAR A MESS
SAYING IT COULD %
HELP,
PARTICULARLY %
THOSE WITHOUT %
ANY SYMPTOMS AS % OPPOSED TO
OPPOSED TO
PREVENTING YOU,
THE PERSON %
WEARING ONE,
FROM GETTING %
SICK. %
DR. FAUCI %
EVENTUALLY %
EXPLAINS THE
CHANGE. %
>> AT THAT POINT %
IN TIME THE
PERSONAL %
PROTECTIVE %
EQUIPMENT %
INCLUDING N-95 %
MASK AND %
SURGICAL MASK %
WERE IN VERY
SHORT SUPPLY. %
WE WANTED TO %
MAKE SURE THAT
THE PEOPLE,
NAMELY HEALTH %
CARE WORKERS, WE %
DID NOT WANT
THEM TO BE %
WITHOUT THE %
EQUIPMENT THEY %
NEEDED.
>> Reporter: NOW %
THERE IS %
EMERGING %
EVIDENCE THAT
THE MASKS ARE %
HELPFUL.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE %
RECENT ANALYSIS %
LOOKED UP ONE OF %
70 STUDIES THAT
EXAMINED COVID-19
, ZAZA VIRUS AND
MERS VIRUS, AND %
SAID THAT THE %
MASK WAS %
SIGNIFICANT %
PROTECTION %
AGAINST THE %
VIRAL %
TRANSMISSION.
BUT THE FACE %
COVERING HIS
BECOMING %
INCREASINGLY %
PARTISAN WITH
HOLES SUGGESTING %
REPUBLICANS
DON’T FAVOR THE %
MASK AS MUCH AS %
DEMOCRATS.
IT TOOK MONTHS
FOR PRESIDENT %
TRUMP TO WEAR %
ONE IN PUBLIC.
BEFORE THAT HE %
DOWNPLAYED THE %
IMPORTANCE. %
>> I WILL NOT BE %
DOING IT %
PERSONALLY, IT %
IS A %
RECOMMENDATION. %
>> CAN YOU SPEAK %
IT UP BECAUSE I %
CANNOT HEAR YOU. %
>> YOU WANT TO %
BE POLITICALLY %
CORRECT SO GO-% AHEAD.
>> Reporter: THE %
RALLY IN TULSA
DID NOT ENFORCE %
WEARING A MASK %
AND NOW HEALTH %
OFFICIALS SAY %
THAT EVENT AND %
CORRESPONDING %
PROTESTS LIKELY %
LED TO THE
SURGING CASES. %
ON THE NEXT %
RALLY THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN SAID %
THE FACE MASK %
WILL BE %
"STRONGLY
ENCOURAGED". %
OTHER GOP %
MEMBERS LIKE %
MITCH McCONNELL, %
DID CHENEY %
PUBLICLY %
SUPPORTING FACE %
COVERINGS. %
LAMAR ALEXANDER
WENT AS FAR AS
TO ACKNOWLEDGE %
THE ROLE OF %
TRUMP IN ALL OF %
THIS %
>> IF YOU ARE %
PRO-TRUMP YOU %
DON’T WEAR A MASK AND IF YOU
MASK AND IF YOU
ARE ANTI-TRUMP
YOU’RE MORE %
LIKELY TO WEAR A %
MASK. %
I HOPE THE %
PRESIDENT WILL
HELP US GET RID
OF THIS MASK %
POLITICS.
>> Reporter: IT %
IS BITTER DIVIDE %
ON MASKS AND %
THAT HAS LED TO %
SERIOUS %
CONSEQUENCES %
BEYOND THE %
SPREAD OF THE
VIRUS. %
THERE IS A LOT %
OF %
MISINFORMATION %
FLOODING SOCIAL %
MEDIA WITH SOME %
FALSELY CLAIMING
THAT THE MASKS %
ARE DANGEROUS. %
A SECURITY GUARD
AT A DOLLAR %
STORE IN %
MICHIGAN WAS %
KILLED AFTER %
TELLING A %
CUSTOMER TO %
COVER THEIR %
FACE.
SO WHERE DOES IT
GO FROM HERE? %
RECENTLY %
REPUBLICAN AND
DEMOCRATIC %
GOVERNORS ISSUED %
MANDATORY MASKS %
ORDER SIDING THE
PUBLIC HEALTH %
OVER POLITICS
>> I KNOW THAT
WEARING A FACE %
COVERING IS NOT %
THE CONVENIENT
THING TO DO, BUT
I ALSO KNOW THAT
WEARING A FACE %
COVERING WILL %
HELP US TO KEEP %
TEXAS OPEN FOR
BUSINESS. %
>> Reporter: THE
COULD BE MORE OF
THESE ORDERS TO %
COME.
A RECENT STUDY %
FROM HEALTH %
AFFAIRS DOWN THE
MASK MANDATE IS %
ASSOCIATED WITH %
A LOWER RATE OF %
COVID-19. %
WHILE THOSE
MESSAGING HAVE %
BEEN MESSY THE %
FACTS SUGGEST %
THAT MASKS COULD %