Super Bowl champion Matt Light not onboard with masks to prevent coronavirus
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Matt Light, a three-time Super Bowl champion and former New England Patriots star offensive lineman, said Tuesday he didn’t believe masks were effective to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
Light made his controversial comments in an interview with WEEI Radio’s “The Greg Hill Show.”
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“I respect anybody’s decision to wear a mask or not wear a mask," Light said. "The science is real clear on masks, right? There’s no need to interpret it whether it helps saves lives or not, it doesn’t."
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“It has no real effect," the offensive tackle said. "It makes you feel comfy and warm inside maybe but it doesn’t do anything in the grand scheme of things.”
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The Centers for Disease Control disagrees with Light’s sentiment. The agency has called on Americans to wear masks to stop the spread of the virus.
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“We are not defenseless against COVID-19,” CDC Director Dr. Robert R. Redfield has said. “Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus – particularly when used universally within a community setting. All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.”
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Light said he thinks Americans should make their own decisions when it comes to a mask and not just because the government or someone else is telling them to.
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“I think we’re better than that,” he said. “I think this country was founded on principles that don’t just say, ‘Hey, when somebody tells you to do something, even if you look around and know there’s not a fire, don’t believe them when they say there’s smoke’. Like c’mon, we’re better than this,” he added,
“I understand that there is a bug out there. There’s a virus and it is causing harm on certain people, no doubt but it does not warrant what we’re looking at right now. The data clearly points to that.”
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