According to a report from the Daily Beast, a suggestion made by Vice President Mike Pence at a recent White House task force press conference would have a devastating effect on controlling the spread of the coronavirus if you listen to health experts.
On Monday, asked about guidance issued by the CDC aimed at returning workers, Pence told reporters, "We're specifically looking at people that work in critical infrastructure—people in law enforcement, people in critical transportation. The guidance we're looking for unpacking is how the people who may have come into contact with someone who tested positive for coronavirus, if they have no symptoms, [may] be able to return to work [and] wear a mask for a certain period of time.”According to William Haseltine, president of the global health think tank ACCESS Health International, Pence's suggestion would lead to "deadly' consequences.
“That is so bad,” explained Haseltine. "If you want to really spread this infection like crazy, that’s what to do. It’s near insanity. No health expert would have ever told them that, unless it’s a Trump sycophant. If you want to kill hundreds and thousands of Americans, he’s found a good way to do it.”
According to Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, an adjunct professor of epidemiology at the University of California Los Angeles, masks are not the answer and comprehensive testing for COVID-19 is the way to go.
“That’s basic public health 101—that someone who has been exposed to a contagious disease be quarantined,” Klausner explained. “That’s a much more scientifically rigorous approach. It would be much better and scientifically sound to test people before they return back to work, particularly if they’re in a work setting where they may come into close contact with other individuals. My concern with the masking is just that it’s not an evidence-based, scientifically sound approach.”