© Reuters / Geoff BurkeDr. Anthony Fauci
Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a key player in guiding the US response to Covid-19, enjoyed a pleasant day at the ballpark on Thursday, where he threw the ceremonial first pitch of the MLB opening day game between the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals. His throw was wildly off-target, sparking near-unanimous mockery of his baseball skills on Twitter. But he received equally ferocious criticism for his coronavirus etiquette while watching the game from the stadium's empty bleachers (fans have been banned from attending games, a policy which Fauci strongly advocated for).
Comment: Since baseball games in the US aren't open to the public, then this must mean Fauci doesn't see himself as a member of the public.
Photographs caught Fauci sitting between two people with his mask on his chin. The grinning doctor appears to be having a great time, even though the photographic evidence suggests that he violated his own social distancing and mask-wearing guidelines.
Social media backlash was swift and unforgiving.
"Showing us all he knows exactly how well masks work! Thanks for the lesson, doc," quipped writer and former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson, who has repeatedly pointed to studies and data which cast doubt on the efficacy of widespread public mask use.
Others argued that Fauci had "made a mockery" of his own recommendations.
The photos even spawned a hashtag, #FauciTheFraud, which accompanies countless posts accusing the doctor of shedding his mask when the cameras are off.
However, some argued that nothing untoward had occurred, as Fauci was sitting next to his wife and one of his friends and would have known if they were at risk.
But this explanation contradicts Fauci's own self-professed mask-wearing habits. In a recent interview with the Washington Post, the doctor claimed that the only time he doesn't wear a mask is when he is at home or with his wife or speaking in public, "provided there is six feet between me and the people to whom I am speaking." In fact, he regularly chides Americans who choose not to wear masks, or wear them incorrectly.
Many US states, as well as countries around the world, have imposed mask mandates, but Fauci himself has not always been an advocate of such policies. In a March interview, he insisted that there was no reason for seemingly healthy people to be "walking around in a mask." At the time his views reflected a wide consensus among medical professionals and institutions, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the US surgeon general. However, it is now recommended that masks are worn when it's not possible to keep your distance from other people. The reason for the sudden reversal in guidance has been hotly debated. Although new studies have emerged claiming to show wide mask use could be beneficial, there may be less scientific motives. Deborah Cohen, the medical correspondent of BBC2's Newsnight, reported earlier this month that the WHO committee reviewing the organization's mask recommendation was motivated by political lobbying, not new evidence.
So, what else is new?