evidence: News organizations repeated these claims. In late February, Forbes ran a piece with the headline "No, You DO NOT Need Face Masks For Coronavirus—They Might Increase Your Infection Risk." The story has since been viewed more than 4.5 million times; it was also updated (including the headline) to reflect changing mask guidance. Jerome Adams, the surgeon general, tweeted to implore Americans to "STOP BUYING MASKS," which drove a further round of coverage. On March 2, Adams appeared on Fox & Friends to hammer home the point; masks, he said, had "not been proven to be effective in preventing the spread of coronavirus amongst the general public."