CNN’s senior medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen claims the “science has changed” surrounding COVID mandates and masking should be an “individual choice.”
“There is a time and a place for pandemic restrictions, but when they were put in, it was always with the understanding that they would be removed as soon as we can. In this case, the circumstances have changed,” said Wen.
“Case counts are declining. Also, the science has changed. We know that vaccines protected very well against Omicron, which is the dominant variant,” added the analyst. “I’m not saying that no one should ever where masks. But rather the responsibility should shift from a government mandate to an individual responsibility.”
"The science has changed." @DrLeanaWen explains why she supports lifting some pandemic restrictions and thinks the decision to wear a mask should shift from a government mandate to an individual choice. pic.twitter.com/vaiybBBF2b
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) February 8, 2022
“I don’t think we should be looking at case counts at all. … The key number that we should be looking at is hospitalizations,” concluded the doctor.
Wen’s comments come days after the Director of the World Health Organization issued a warning against the easing of COVID restrictions in several nations.
“We’re concerned that a narrative has taken hold in some countries that because of vaccines, and because of omicron’s high transmissibility and lower severity, preventing transmission is no longer possible and no longer necessary,” said Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus earlier this month.
