Watch: CNN Confronts Biden Surgeon General On Masks – ‘We Were Told Any Mask Was Good’ — Now Fauci Says They Work ‘MAYBE 10%’

CNN host Erin Burnett questioned Biden Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s over contradictory statements on mask effectiveness made to the public by federal health officials at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“While I have you, I want to ask you about something Dr. Fauci said recently, as we’re talking about the pandemic,” Burnett told Murthy.

“[Fauci] did an interview with The New York Times and he said — he talked about masks — he said, ‘From a broad public-health standpoint, at the population level, masks work at the margins — maybe 10 percent. But for an individual who religiously wears a mask, a well-fitted KN95 or N95, it’s not at the margin. It really does work.’”

“Do you see how some find this an extremely significant statement?” Burnett asked.

“Because for most of us, we were told it didn’t matter what kind of mask, any mask was good. Our kids had to wear masks for an actual year and a half in school, and none of them wore them the right way. That hearing that, it may be good that he is saying it, but that hearing that is upsetting for a lot of people?”

Murthy of course defended the government’s vacillating stance on masks claiming it was difficult to keep up as the science was constantly changing.

“I can certainly understand that for many people who were listening closely to the messages that were coming through and guidance to what to do,” Murthy responded. “When they recognize that sometimes guidance shifted and evolved over time that can be concerting. And sometimes the guidance does evolve over time as you learn more and I certainly remember even though I was a private citizen the first year of the pandemic. I was watching closely and we were learning a lot about the pandemic and guidance shifted accordingly…”

“One thing I think we all have to recognize is this pandemic has been incredibly hard for a lot of people, especially for kids and for parents. I’m a parent and you’re a parent. We both lived through some of these challenges and are still trying to help our kids through them.”

The discussion followed an announcement by Murthy’s office on Tuesday unveiling a new federal initiative titled the “National Strategy to Advance Social Connection.” The initiative addresses an “epidemic of loneliness and isolation” which were primarily fueled by pandemic lockdowns that were encouraged by Fauci and others at the federal level.