In 2008 Dr. Fauci co-authored a letter claiming that wearing masks during the Spanish flu epidemic caused most deaths as a result of bacterial pneumonia.

The study does not mention masks. It says those who died of bacterial pneumonia during the flu contracted it as a result of the influenza virus.

The study does not mention masks. It says those who died of bacterial pneumonia during the flu contracted it as a result of the influenza virus.Many social media users are sharing a Twitter post that claims that during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, people died of bacterial pneumonia from masks and that Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), knew this and wrote about it in 2008. However, this claim is false. While Fauci did co-author a paper in 2008, titled 'Deaths from Bacterial Pneumonia during 1918–19 Influenza Pandemic,' the paper does not mention masks. In fact, it found that bacterial pneumonia led to most deaths in the Spanish flu pandemic when it had been preceded by “viral damage,” or influenza infection. The paper clarifies that those who died of bacterial pneumonia during the flu pandemic of 1918 contracted it as a result of suffering from the influenza virus.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.