Chicago City Wire

Dr. Anthony Fauci was a supporter of masking Chicago school kids forever, but can’t seem to remember why.

In November - in his last weeks in office - Fauci was deposed regarding the federal government’s response to Covid.

Among other items, Fauci said he “did not recall” an email early on in the pandemic in which he told a subordinate that masking did not help prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Missouri’s Solicitor General D. John Sauer questioned Fauci over the infamous email he sent early on to a co-worker asking if masking helped.

“Do you recall writing this in response: ‘Masks are really for infected people to prevent them from spreading infection to people who are not infected, rather than protecting uninfected people from acquiring infection,” Sauer said.

“The typical mask you buy in the drugstore is not really effective in keeping out the virus, which is small enough to pass through the material. It might, however, provide some slight benefit in keeping out gross droplets if someone coughs or sneezes on you. I do not recommend that you wear a mask, particularly since you're going to a low-risk location.”

After at first noting the research was not in to support masking Fauci did an about-face and suggested the practice indefinitely.

Fauci said in the deposition response that the studies available at the time did not support masking but that he still did not remember the email which has by now been shared across all social media channels and even emblazoned on t-shirts worn by activists.

“I don't recall. I mean, these things -- thousands of things happen,” Fauci said.

“If you show me an e-mail that has my name and the proper identification and I said that, I would not argue with you. It would not be out of the question that at that time in the outbreak, I would have said that.”

Fauci added he could not list a single study that showed the efficacy of masking in public when he ultimately backed mask mandates.

“Were there placebo-based, randomized, double-blind studies of the efficacy of masking that were done between February and April of 2020?” Sauer asked,

“I don't recall. I'd have to go back and take a close look at the literature. I don't recall,” Fauci said. 

Based on Fauci’s suggestion many parts of the nation began mandating masks in public and in school settings despite a paucity of data to show even a small difference between masking and not masking or a real threat to school children.

In fact, many have said masking creates a false sense of safety in those who wear them and made wearers more likely to put themselves in close proximity to those with Covid.

Masking and other Covid protocols are being blamed for isolation and learning loss in Illinois children.  

Many are speculating what will be included in the so-called “Fauci Files” yet to be released by Twitter this week as promised by Elon Musk.

As Illinois was being forced by court order to stop the mandates in schools after nearly two years Fauci said children should remain in masks indefinitely.

"So before we start talking about pulling back on them, let's get the dynamic of the virus in the community low enough so that we can feel safe in pulling back on the requirement for children to wear masks," Fauci said in February 2020, according to NBC Chicago.

Fauci became the Director of NIAID in 1984 where he served as the government’s top virologist.

Despite the length of his career in the post, Fauci reversed his own medical advice on masking.

In fact, upon exiting his employment with the federal government Fauci noted he felt Covid protocols should have been put in place early on in the pandemic noting he felt Covid protocols should have included “much, much more stringent restrictions.”