Dr. Leana Wen, a CNN medical analyst, is facing criticism for saying she is in favor of lifting COVID-19 restrictions and mask mandates because “the science” changed.
Wen said on Monday night that she supports lifting some coronavirus restrictions, including mask mandates.
“When they were put in, it was always with the understanding that they would be removed as soon as we can. And in this case, circumstances have changed, case counts are declining. Also, the science has changed. We know that vaccines protect very well against Omicron,” Wen said.
She also brought up “one-way masking,” which she explained is “the idea that even if other people are not wearing masks, if you wear a high-quality mask that also protects you.”
Finally, Wen added, “I’m not saying — I don’t think anyone really is saying — that no one should ever wear masks but rather that the responsibility should shift from a government mandate imposed from the state or the local district on the school rather it should shift to an individual responsibility by the family who can still decide if that their child can wear a mask if needed.”
Watch the video below:
"The science has changed." @DrLeanaWen explains why she supports lifting some pandemic restrictions and thinks the decision to wear a mask should shift from a government mandate to an individual choice. pic.twitter.com/vaiybBBF2b
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) February 8, 2022
Wen’s comments come after New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, California, and Oregon set timelines for when they plan to end their state mask mandates.
Her comments also come after several high-profile Democrats were criticized for not wearing masks in apparent violation of mandates.
Some conservatives argued that the decision to announce timelines for dropping the mandates was politically motivated.
Check out some of the reactions below:
https://twitter.com/BecketAdams/status/1491066779476852736
This is gaslighting.
— Tucker Max (@TuckerMax) February 8, 2022
She is brazenly lying, her statements flying in the face of all evidence, most of which has been there for more than 2 years.
This is what happens when sociopaths get caught–they double down on their lies.
They never stop lying. https://t.co/AiC0T715v6
Weird, the Fauci cultists told us it was settled. pic.twitter.com/cJFoZOTYfc
— Natalie Johnson (@nataliejohnsonn) February 8, 2022
They found a cure for covid!
— Matthew Marsden (@matthewdmarsden) February 8, 2022
Low poll numbers!!!
They were always playing us. Let’s see how short peoples memories are. https://t.co/XQ5DVHoDPr
The ‘science’ hasn’t changed. The wind has…
— Rob Schneider (@RobSchneider) February 8, 2022
And they see which way it’s blowing.#Freedom https://t.co/ziGhe056wZ
As others noted, there is nothing in The Science™ that changed to justify Dem politicians suddenly ending mask mandates. All that changed is the political fear they have.
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) February 8, 2022
Conflating "The Science" with politics like this is a key reason many lost trust in public health experts. https://t.co/yYpjR4b5Bt
Has anything fundamentally changed in the last six months, except for Democrats finally, belatedly realizing that militant masking is a political loser? The science didn’t change, the politics changed. https://t.co/PhDptrCaCG
— Robby Soave (@robbysoave) February 8, 2022
The oddest part of this isn’t the “science” claim. It’s that there will be people who see this, believe the “science” — and not polling — has actually changed from two weeks ago and put away their masks. https://t.co/8zT5ZO6Mx5
— Emily Zanotti 🦝 (@emzanotti) February 8, 2022
“The science” is the method, not the data. “The science has changed” is something you say when you’re unscientific but want to sound to lay people like you are. https://t.co/WgK4sB42d6
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) February 8, 2022
The science hasn’t changed. This is really something to behold. https://t.co/dkGsEQEdoc
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) February 8, 2022
No aspect of the “science” she describes is significantly different from where the “science” was 10 months ago. https://t.co/wiGEcEI6li
— David Marcus (@BlueBoxDave) February 8, 2022
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) joined in, tweeting, “Something changed, but it wasn’t the science. It was the politics.”
Something changed, but it wasn’t the science.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 8, 2022
It was the politics. https://t.co/8fMDmU9J7B
Wen’s argument that parents should decide whether their children should wear masks in school is similar to that of the Republican governors of Virginia, Florida, and Texas.
According to The New York Times, the average number of new coronavirus cases recorded per day has decreased 62% compared to the previous 14-days.
However, as of Tuesday morning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still recommends that if people are “up to date” with their Covid vaccination status, they should wear a mask indoors to “maximize protection and prevent possibly spreading COVID-19 to others” if they are “in an area of substantial or high transmission.”