New texts reveal Dr. Michael Osterholm, who advised the Biden administration on COVID-19, privately urged top officials—including Dr. Fauci and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky—to ditch cloth masks and push N-95s, calling the latter “very limited protection” and arguing CDC studies backing cloth masks were scientifically weak. His message, sent to avoid FOIA issues, surfaced after Florida’s governor threatened school funding over mask mandates, prompting White House press secretary Jen Psaki to note Osterholm was no longer an advisor. The documents, obtained by Senator Chuck Grassley, highlight a shift in CDC messaging: while now acknowledging cloth masks offer lower protection, they still tout masks as an “extra layer.” The episode sparks debate—did experts knowingly promote less effective masks for political or public health reasons, or was messaging simply evolving with science?
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