Here’s former Trump FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb proposing that mandatory procedure masks in public — these are the traditional, simple masks you’d see in a hospital and not the N95 masks that block in inhalation of particles — could help stop the asymptomatic spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

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THREAD: If the concern is that asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic younger Americans (millennials) are continuing to spread #Coronavirus because they don't heed warnings, you could require anyone between certain ages to wear a procedure mask when they go out. 1/n — Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) March 18, 2020

If we're at the point of locking down entire cities, we must consider other ways to break off transmission that don't take away peoples' liberty. CDC's current position is that people should only wear a mask when you're sick. But we know this is spread by Asymptomatic people 2/n — Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) March 18, 2020

Any ordinance would have to specify procedure masks and not N95 masks which are in short supply and needed by healthcare workers. There does not appear to be any shortage of procedure masks, and these masks are still very helpful in preventing spread through droplets. 3/n — Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) March 18, 2020

People should still be required to stay home if sick, but that's hard to enforce. Requiring a procedure mask for those who go out in areas of sustained spread (like some big cities) would be a second layer of protection when people are asymptomatic or defiant 4/n — Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) March 18, 2020

Thoughtful op ed @nytimes on masks and whether messaging was wrong. We must distinguish between N95 masks that healthcare providers need because of added protection, and procedure masks which could still help prevent transmission and protect consumers 5/n https://t.co/YnJAun7NCi — Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) March 18, 2020

People who stockpiled N95 mass should donate them to their local hospital. When they do, they can be given a replacement stock of procedure masks. 6/n — Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) March 18, 2020

And he pointed out that we’re already doing this with flu patients:

CDC guidance recommends people symptomatic with flu wear mask if have to travel outside. Since we know there can be asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic spread of #COVID19, mask could help reduce transmission where people may not realize they're infected 7/n https://t.co/I7eRDhNErg — Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) March 18, 2020

China is already doing it, FWIW:

It's noteworthy when Chinese President appeared in public it was always with procedure mask. He was reinforcing people should wear mask, and it should be a procedure mask and not the N95 masks that most people couldn't get access to and that healthcare workers needed more badly. pic.twitter.com/s1MJTBV3hm — Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) March 18, 2020

And this would be a huge flip-flop, especially since we were told that it wouldn’t be effective:

Remember, prior guidance in U.S. discouraged a mask but it was a time when there were probably hundreds and maybe low thousands of cases (and officials maintained there was no community spread). Now there are clear hot spots and sustained transmission so risk has grown a lot — Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) March 18, 2020

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