Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the U.S. reiterated the importance of wearing masks and warned against politicizing the issue, stating that it's "purely a health issue." 

The federal health expert at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. was asked during an interview at the Sacramento Press Club Wednesday about the politicization of wearing face coverings.

"Everybody should wear a mask when out public," Fauci said, adding wearing a mask is society's responsibility to not just protect an individual, but the whole population.

"There's no secret formula for that, except to say get past it," Fauci said. "It should not be a political issue. It is purely a public health issue. Forget the politics. Look at the data."

The expert emphasized that wearing a mask is society's responsibility to not just protect an individual, but the whole population.

When a young person get infected, they could infect someone else, who could then infect a vulnerable person, Fauci said.

As President Trump and members of his administration have shunned wearing masks in public, even at crowded campaign rallies and White House events, prompting supporters to imitate him, Fauci have emphasized on numerous occasions about the importance of masks. 

During an interview with CNN weeks ago, he reiterated that wearing masks is effective, though "it's not 100 percent effective."

"I mean, it's sort of respect for another person, and have that other person respect you. You wear a mask, they wear a mask, you protect each other."