In recent testimony, Dr. Anthony Fauci disclosed that the widely implemented six-foot social distancing rule was not based on scientific evidence but rather “it just sort of happened.”
The Republicans released the full transcript of their January interview with Fauci during a House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic meeting.
In the transcript, Fauci admitted uncertainty about the origins of the social distancing guideline.
“You know, I don’t recall. It sort of just appeared,” he said, noting the absence of definitive studies to back the rule, as such research “would be very difficult” to conduct.
The interview also highlighted Fauci’s lack of specific recall regarding evidence for masking children.
When asked about studies supporting the practice, he responded, “I might have, but I don’t recall specifically that I did.” Fauci further commented on the effectiveness of masking children, stating, “I still think that’s up in the air.”
This acknowledgment comes despite numerous studies indicating negative impacts on children.
A National Institute of Health (NIH) study characterized the effect of mask use on students’ literacy and learning as “very negative,” while another NIH study found that social distancing led to “depression, generalized anxiety, acute stress, and intrusive thoughts,” as reported by The Daily Mail.
Lab Leak
On the lab leak theory, Fauci acknowledged it as a “possibility” and separated it from broader conspiracy theories. “It could be a lab leak,” Fauci said, contrasting with his earlier support for the “Proximal Origin” paper, which dismissed the lab leak hypothesis.
The coronavirus committee, focused on the origins of COVID-19, has uncovered inappropriate practices among health officials.
Dr. David Morens, Fauci’s former top aide, used his personal email for official duties and deleted files to bypass access-to-information requests. Morens even bragged about making correspondence “disappear” and maintaining a “secret back channel” to Fauci.
On Monday, while testifying on the federal government’s response to COVID-19, Fauci said “There was no study that did masks on kids. You couldn’t do the study. You had to respond to an epidemic that was killing four to five thousand Americans a day.”
