WATCH: Dr. Fauci recommends TWO masks after previously advising to not wear a mask at all

"This is a physical covering," Fauci said, "to prevent droplets and virus to get in. So if you have a physical covering with one layer, you put another layer on it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective and that's why you see people either double masking or doing a version of an N95."

On March 8 in an interview with 60 Minutes, Fauci said "There's no reason to be walking around with a mask. When you're in the middle of an outbreak, wearing a mask might make people feel a little bit better and it might even block a droplet, but it's not providing the perfect protection that people think that it is. And, often, there are unintended consequences—people keep fiddling with the mask and they keep touching their face."

It was in April that the CDC updated its guidance on face masking and Fauci began to change his tune. The CDC said that face masks were recommended "in public settings when around people outside their household, especially when social distancing measures are difficult to maintain."

Double-masking was recently recommended by The New York Times, as well. "Double-masking isn’t necessary for everyone," The Times wrote, but it could be helpful "for people with thin or flimsy face coverings."

After taking office, President Joe Biden instituted a "mask mandate" via executive order which requires everyone on "federal land" to wear a face mask both inside and outside.