Less than 24 hours after Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle struck down the Biden administration’s mask mandate on planes and public transportation, Tuesday’s CBS Mornings and NBC’s Today stood up for those still paralyzed in fear of the coronavirus, tag-teaming with medical experts to fret people wouldn’t accept two more weeks of masking and that we’ve placed such a dangerous burden on immunocompromised individuals.
Co-host and Democratic donor Gayle King led the way on CBS Mornings in her interview with former Biden COVID-19 advisory board member Dr. Celine Gounder: “There are a lot of people that are cheering, as you saw on the planes, saying it's about time. Still, others are saying this makes no sense. What do you think? Is this a good idea to lift the mask at this time?”
This teed up Gounder to fret that she’s “concerned that we just don't have quite enough information” about the latest variant of the virus and keeping the mask mandates in place “another two weeks was really the appropriate, cautious approach here.”
Two weeks, huh? Doesn’t that sound reminiscent of something we heard in March 2020?
King shifted gears to the immunocompromised: “And what about people that have, you know, highly compromised immune systems? What does this mean for them?”
Gounder commiserated, stating this current “phase of the pandemic...put[s] the onus entirely on those who are immunocompromised to protect themselves” even though “many...don’t even know they’re immunocompromised” which, for example, would include the obese.
Despite the idolatry toward masks on the left, King insisted “we're all sick of wearing a mask” and she doesn’t “know anybody that likes to wear” one before asking Gounder whether the Biden administration should fight back or “just move on.”
Gounder warned Mizelle could have defanged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from instituting mask mandates if a mutation hits the populace hard or another pandemic pops up: “[W]e will see other pandemics after COVID, so I do think the idea of stripping ourselves of an essential tool in the toolbox is a really bad idea. I think we do need to have that option[.]”
NBC featured its own strain of fear and uncertainty. Co-host Savannah Guthrie opened with this question to former CDC boss Dr. Richard Besser: “[I]s [lifting the mandate] safe to do so? Do you have any safety, public health concerns about the masks coming down?”
Like Gounder, Besser gave the left-wing audience what they wanted to hear as, along with needing to cater to the immunocompromised, people should still mask up as a sign of respect if most people around them are (click “expand”):
You know, Savannah, we all want to get back to our lives, as we knew them before the pandemic. And you know, the good news is across the country we're seeing easing of a lot of restriction as the risk to people goes down. You know, I had — I had hoped the transit requirement for masks would be one of the last things that went away and the reason for that is that there are a lot of people who don't have a choice when it comes to travel and there are people who have disabilities, who have medical conditions that puts them in greater risk who are in situations where they are shoulder to shoulder with fellow passengers on a bus on a train, in a subway.
And if the people around them are not wearing masks, they — yes, people can wear their own masks, but there’s added protection when you are that close for a long period of time if those people around you also have a mask. So, I — I would hope that people would respect those around them and if there are people around you who are wearing masks that you put yours on. It is not a big thing to do.
To their credit, they noted that it is much safer to unmask on an airplane given “the air flow,” but their segment wrapped with Besser also warning about Mizelle putting people in danger if the CDC can’t help “prevent the spread of infectious diseases” in the future:
[M]y biggest concern Savannah is that, you know, if — if the CDC loses its power to prevent the spread of infectious diseases between states or coming into the country, we are all at great risk, so I hope that this ruling is challenged because in the next pandemic, the next big public health crisis, we want the CDC to be able to put in scientifically-based, rational restrictions that protect people's health.
Tuesday morning’s COVID fear porn was brought to you thanks to advertisers such as Honda (on NBC) and Kohl’s (on CBS). Follow the links to see their contact information at the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.
To see the relevant transcripts from April 19, click “expand.”
CBS Mornings
April 19, 2022
7:09 a.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Court Strikes Down Mask Mandate; Dr. Celine Gounder on Decision to End Mandate on Public Transportation]
KING: Boy, help us sort this all out. There are a lot of people that are cheering, as you saw on the planes, saying it's about time. Still, others are saying this makes no sense. What do you think? Is this a good idea to lift the mask at this time?
DR. CELINE GOUNDER: The CDC had delayed lifting of the masking on public transportation including airplanes for just another two weeks. Right now, we're waiting to see how this new ba.2 variant — this newer subvariant of omicron — how that’s going to play out across the country. And if it turns out to be pretty mild, the CDC was planning to let those mandates expire. I — I am concerned that we just don't have quite enough information yet, and another two weeks was really the appropriate, cautious approach here.
KING: And what about people that have, you know, highly compromised immune systems? What does this mean for them?
GOUNDER: We are now in a phase of the pandemic where we have put the onus entirely on those who are immunocompromised to protect themselves. That means that we need to make sure that they have access to high-quality masks, the best masks possible, so that would mean either an N-95 or a KN-95. The other thing to remember here is that many immunocompromised people don't even know they're immunocompromised. Many Americans are obese and have type 2 diabetes, which causes a milder form of immunocompromise, and many Americans do not have primary care doctors, insurance and so, may not have that diagnosis and know that they should be taking extra precautions.
KING: Listen, I know we're all sick of wearing a mask. I don't know anybody that likes to wear a mask. The other way, I was on a plane, I tried to drink and forgot I have my mask on. That’s how used I’ve got to wearing it. But do you think this ruling should be appealed or should we all just move on, in your opinion?
GOUNDER: The real question here is what does this mean for the CDC’s power to reimpose a mask mandate. Say if we have another surge next fall or winter or say we have another pandemic and so, I do think you're likely to see this decision repealed to preserve those CDC powers for that what-if scenario.
KING: And what do you think about a what-if scenario? Because we’re still not out of this. Don’t you think there’s still more to come with this pan — with this pandemic and COVID in general?
GOUNDER: Yeah, there’s certainly more to come. We know that this is a virus that mutates. In fact, it's mutating very rapidly. We will see more variants, and we will see other pandemics after COVID, so I do think the idea of stripping ourselves of an essential tool in the toolbox is a really bad idea. I think we do need to have that option at our disposal if we do face another crisis.
KING: All right, Dr. Celine Gounder, we thank you very much. And please know, if you want to wear you mask, you can still do that. Thank you.
—
NBC’s Today
April 19, 2022
7:07 a.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: CDC’s Travel Mask Mandate Overturned]
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Well, that was fast. Almost a soon as this ruling comes down so many airlines that have been pushing for the mask mandate to expire lifted their requirements. Let's set aside for the moment whether or not you agree with the legal ruling, is it safe to do so? Do you have any safety, public health concerns about the masks coming down?
DR. RICHARD BESSER: You know, Savannah, we all want to get back to our lives, as we knew them before the pandemic. And you know, the good news is across the country we're seeing easing of a lot of restriction as the risk to people goes down. You know, I had — I had hoped the transit requirement for masks would be one of the last things that went away and the reason for that is that there are a lot of people who don't have a choice when it comes to travel and there are people who have disabilities, who have medical conditions that puts them in greater risk who are in situations where they are shoulder to shoulder with fellow passengers on a bus on a train, in a subway. And if the people around them are not wearing masks, they — yes, people can wear their own masks, but there’s added protection when you are that close for a long period of time if those people around you also have a mask. So, I — I would hope that people would respect those around them and if there are people around you who are wearing masks that you put yours on. It is not a big thing to do.
GUTHRIE: We mentioned some of the public transport agencies around — transit agencies around the country have differing rules. Is there a qualitative or public health difference in your mind between the safety of airline travel — airport travel versus a subway or a metro?
BESSER: I think there is. You know, it’s a bit counterintuitive. But actually the air flow in airplanes is — is much better than you’ll see in other transit situations. On an airplane, the greatest risk is from those people right next to you or maybe the row in front or the row right behind you. On a subway in New York, I ride the subway a lot. You’re often in a car with people very, very close to you without that same kind of airflow. When you’re — when you’re on a bus, a similar situation and when you think about the people who work in those situations, they don't have a choice. So, you know, we are getting to a point in this pandemic where — where our lives are getting back towards normal. But I would encourage people to follow their public health recommendations even if they’re not required to by law.
GUTHRIE: Yeah.
BESSER: But my biggest concern Savannah is that, you know, if — if the CDC loses its power to prevent the spread of infectious diseases between states or coming into the country, we are all at great risk, so I hope that this ruling is challenged because in the next pandemic, the next big public health crisis, we want the CDC to be able to put in scientifically-based, rational restrictions that protect people's health.
