CDC criticizes White House medical adviser's discredited mask claim

CDC criticizes White House medical adviser's discredited mask claim The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is criticizing a White House coronavirus adviser for spreading misinformation about facial coverings, in a potential escalation of the feud between the administration and public health officials within the federal government. YahooNews

WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is criticizing a top White House coronavirus adviser for spreading misinformation about facial coverings, in a potential escalation of the feud between the administration and public health officials within the federal government. 

That adviser, Stanford neuroradiologist Dr. Scott Atlas, appears to have taken a statistic from a CDC study wildly out of context to pose an anti-mask argument that has been central to his and President Trump’s approach.

Atlas, a source of nearly endless controversy, sent a tweet on Saturday calling into question the efficacy of facial coverings in preventing the coronavirus. “Masks work? No,” said his tweet. In recent months, Atlas has become Trump’s pandemic point man, angering other members of the White House coronavirus task force, including Drs. Deborah Birx and Anthony Fauci. ...

The missive was widely condemned by public health officials and ultimately removed by Twitter. It has also earned disapproval from the CDC, whose director has complained about Atlas’s credibility. 

In a statement emailed to Yahoo News, the CDC disputed Atlas’s conclusions without naming him directly. “CDC guidance on masks has clearly stated that wearing a mask is intended to protect other people in case the mask wearer is infected. At no time has CDC guidance suggested that masks were intended to protect the wearers. ...