On Call: A Doctor's Journey in Public Service

by Anthony Fauci

When the president made it clear he chose not to wear a mask, the whole issue of masks swiftly became politically charged: those who did not wear one were seen as supporting the president and rejecting the limitations the pandemic was placing on Americans’ personal freedoms. He was not basing his decision on public health, or on the nature of COVID, or on our responsibilities to each other to remain healthy. To his followers, those who did wear them were seen as thwarting the president and willingly surrendering their liberty. The battle was joined everywhere, from supermarket aisles, bars, and political rallies to the highest levels of government. We clearly had a dual problem. It was a public health problem because we were in a public health crisis and masks helped to contain the spread of the virus and saved lives. It was also a messaging problem. I remember thinking to myself how easy it would be to get the country to voluntarily wear masks if they saw the president of the United States wearing one and how this would be the most powerful message about masks that we could give the country.