Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is suggesting Americans can slow the spread of the coronavirus drastically if they are willing to follow this one rule.
In a webinar with the Journal of the American Medical Association’s Howard Bauchner, Redfield said if all Americans wore masks, the spread of the coronavirus could be under control.
“If we could get everybody to wear masks right now, I really do think over the next four, six, eight weeks we could bring this epidemic under control,” Redfield said.
Bauchner asked Redfield how the conversation can be shifted from a political narrative to a social one.
Redfield described masking as a social issue, not a political one.
Watch his comments below:
“Masking is not a political issue, it’s a public health issue,” Redfield said.
He added, “It really is a personal responsibility for all of us and I am heartened to see more and more people now, I’m glad to see the president wear a mask this weekend, the vice president. Clearly in their situation, they could easily justify they don’t need to because of all the testing around them and they know they’re not infected, but we need them to set the example.”
Following months of criticism for not wearing a face mask in public, President Donald Trump was seen wearing one during a trip to Walter Reed National Medical Center, as IJR previously reported.
First Lady Melania Trump took to Twitter on Tuesday to remind Americans to follow CDC guidelines.
“Even in the summer months, please remember to wear face coverings and practice social distancing,” the first lady said. “The more precaution we take now can mean a healthier and safer country in the Fall.”
The number of coronavirus cases continues to rise across the nation. As of Tuesday evening, there are more than 3.4 million infections in the United States alone and over 136,000 deaths.
