Actor Matthew McConaughey, who is weighing a gubernatorial bid in the state of Texas, is going to bat for universal mask wearing, expressing his belief that it does not take away an individual’s identity or freedom and asserting that no data exists showing the practice as harmful.
“I’m not believing you’re really scared of this little cotton thing. I don’t really feel that takes away your identity and your freedom,” the Gentleman star said during an appearance on The Carlos Watson Show.
“There’s no data that says it’s not a good thing. No data that says it’s harmful,” he continued, asking everyone to “take one for the team here.”
However, the Dallas Buyers Club actor’s assertion is not undisputed, as there are several reports alleging the daily use of masks taking a toll on people, with effects including but not limited to “acne, irritation, allergic reactions, headaches or even anxiety,” as KFDA reported.
“I noticed that I was getting a rash on my face and anxiety after two weeks of wearing a mask,” one Amarillo resident told the outlet, with another reporting irritation around their ears and the onset of migraines.
Others have reported issues breathing, leading to dizziness and disorientation. Even Dr. Anthony Fauci pointed to some of the risks involved with wearing masks last year.
“There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask,” Fauci said during a 60 Minutes interview in March 2020, even suggesting it served as more of a talisman, making people “feel a little bit better” without having a significant impact on preventing infection.
“When you’re in the middle of an outbreak, wearing a mask might make people feel a little bit better, and it might even block a droplet, but it’s not providing the perfect protection that people think that it is,” he said, warning of “unintended consequences.”
“People keep fiddling with the mask and they keep touching their face,” he added:
Happy anniversary to one of the worst takes ever.
One year ago today, Dr. Fauci went on 60 Minutes and said you didn't need to wear a mask.
"Right now in the United States, people should not be walking around with masks. … There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask." pic.twitter.com/dTfjoxWFjf
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) March 8, 2021
The efficacy of masks is also hotly debated. An overlooked study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last year actually revealed that cloth face coverings or masks were “mostly ineffective in preventing the spread of the Chinese coronavirus as promoted by public health officials,” as Breitbart News detailed at the time:
The CDC conducted the study, largely ignored by the media, in the U.S. in July and made its findings public in September. It compared 154 “case-patients,” those who tested positive for COVID-19 (coronavirus disease), and a control group of 160 “control-participants,” those who were symptomatic but tested negative.
…
The researchers found that 71 percent of the case-patients contracted the virus despite reporting “always” wearing a cloth face covering or mask at least 14 days before illness onset, and 14 percent contracted the virus despite reporting “often” wearing one at least 14 days before illness onset.
That indicates 85 percent of the COVID-19 study participants contracted the virus even after either always (71 percent) or often (14 percent) wearing a face covering or mask, suggesting the masks are not entirely effective at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
McConaughey’s plea follows the CDC loosening restrictions for vaccinated individuals, allowing them to forgo a mask in most social situations. The actor has long stood as a proponent of universal masking, criticizing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) after the Lone Star State governor lifted the mask mandate across the state earlier this year.
“My reaction to that is, I was a little dumbfounded by the decision,” McConaughey said at the time. “I understand ‘go back to work.’ What I did not understand was ‘pull the mask mandate.’
“It’s not the mask we’re afraid of, c’mon. It’s the word ‘mandate.’ Let’s not let the word ‘mandate’ get in the way of practical use of this little tool called a mask. It’s just a small inconvenience today for more freedom tomorrow,” he added.
Notably, Texas continued to report fewer new cases of the Wuhan virus than pro-mask blue states in the weeks following the lifting of restrictions.
Earlier this month, the Dazed and Confused star posted a picture of himself wearing a mask while outside, in the middle of nowhere.
on a bridge, build more pic.twitter.com/l6KhWkWjMR
— Matthew McConaughey (@McConaughey) May 14, 2021
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