On Thursday, Sen. Rand Paul R-K.Y. argued with Dr. Anthony Fauci, adviser to the president, at a Senate hearing. Paul, who is an ophthalmologist, questioned the recent recommendations that people who have been vaccinated should continue to wear masks in public. He accused those who wore masks after being vaccinated for COVID-19 of doing it for “theater.”

Health experts have said that masks are essential even after taking the coronavirus vaccine.

The eye doctor told the infectious disease expert that he had been vaccinated and yet he wore two masks. Paul also told Fauci that there was an almost zero percent chance that’s “he’s going to get it.”

He added that Fauci was defying everything known about immunity and advised him to tell people to quit wearing their masks after they are vaccinated and that would get rid of vaccine hesitancy.

Dr. Fauci reiterated that masks are not theater but are protective. He said that he totally disagreed with Sen. Rand and explained that masks were essential to stop the spread of variants of the coronavirus across the nation. He also explained that the virus is not static.

Credit CNN

To date the known mutations or variants of the coronavirus are the U.K. strain, the South Africa strain and the Brazil strain. Viruses are known to mutate but how and why they mutate is not always clear. The common cold has over 200 variants and flu virus has 4 known variants.

The sparring between the two was a result of recent recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About ten days ago the CDC had released new recommendations. It said that people who have been fully vaccinated could gather indoors with others who have taken the shots. They could meet without masks or social distancing.

The guidance also said that they could meet with one household which had people who weren’t vaccinated as long the members were not in the high-risk categories for COVID-19 infections.

The CDC has recommended that masks or face coverings should be worn in public settings.