Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former White House infectious disease expert who became a lightning rod for recommending lockdown measures during the pandemic, appeared before Congress on Monday to answer questions about new revelations on the origin of COVID-19.

Transcripts released by House Republicans ahead of the hearing appear to reveal Dr. Fauci was unaware of any studies showing that maintaining a six-foot distance from other individuals could reduce the chances of infection. Asked by an unnamed lawmaker about how the distance recommendation was messaged by the White House, Dr. Fauci replied, “You know, I don't recall. It just sort of appeared.” Asked if he was aware of any studies supporting the six-foot rule, he added, “I was not aware of any studies that — in fact, that would be a very difficult study to do.”

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Central to criticism of lockdown measures were the effects of masking and remote learning on children, which numerous studies have since shown were detrimental to social and emotional growth as well as grade-level math and literacy skills. Asked about his recommendation to mask children, Dr. Fauci admitted he was not aware of any studies that showed children who work masks were significantly better off than their peers.

“But I believe there are a lot of conflicting studies too, that there are those that say, yes, there is an impact, and there are those that say there's not. I still think that's up in the air,” Fauci added.

After leaving the public sector, Dr. Fauci released an autobiography that earned him a $5 million advance and helped continue to elevate his profile as a medical expert who sparred with former President Donald Trump during the height of the pandemic. Celebrated on the left while reviled on the right, Fauci has drawn heat for mocking NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and admitting that he prioritizes his own ethos over organized religion. Last fall, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) announced his intention to seek a criminal prosecution against him over alleged lies told to Congress while under oath.

Monday's hearing, convened by House Republicans in charge of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, appeared less bombastic than observers had expected as chairman Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) prodded the former White House advisor for answers about the origins of COVID-19 without veering into open hostility. Chief among Republicans' concerns is seeking confirmation that the lab leak hypothesis is “not a conspiracy theory,” CBS News reported. During his previous 14-hour closed-door testimony, Dr. Fauci stated that the pandemic “could be” the result of  “a lab leak or it could be a natural occurrence,” although he said evidence suggested to him that it was more than likely the latter.

Still, questions about the pandemic's origin have gone unanswered since the Chinese communist government has refused to let third-party investigators audit the staff and protocols of an infectious disease lab in Wuhan, the site of the original outbreak. Republicans have also pointed to government funding at the lab and raised questions about whether the U.S. was funding gain-of-function research to enhance the ability of diseases to infect animals or humans.

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