The director of the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Robert Redfield, said on Wednesday that wearing a face mask may be more effective in preventing an individual infection than administering a vaccine against Covid-19.
Redfield’s statement followed a question from Senator Jack Reed, who questioned whether President Donald Trump’s decision to dispense with wearing masks in most public spaces constituted “one of the most important steps an American can take to defend and defend the country ”.
“I will not comment directly on the President, but I will say, as director of the CDC, that facial masks are the most important public health tool we have,” replied Redfield, quoted by Business Insider.
“They are our best defense,” he added. “I can even say that the mask offers more guarantees to protect me from covid-19 than when I have a vaccine, because the immunogenicity [capacidade de gerar resposta imune] can be 70%. And if I don’t get an immune response, the vaccine won’t protect me. This mask goes, ”he said.
Donald Trump responded to Redfield’s statements later at a press conference on Wednesday night. “The mask is not as important as the vaccine,” refuted Trump. “The mask, perhaps, will help,” suggesting that “as far as the mask is concerned, Redfield made a mistake.”
Several studies have already shown that the use of masks effectively prevents the transmission of the new coronavirus. The CDC recommends its use in public and when it is difficult to fulfill social distance.
– –
