A local eye doctor is the subject of multiple complaints to the Hamilton County Health Department for distributing anti-mask literature from his health practice in Hixson.
Dr. Thomas Reynolds, an ophthalmologist working at Chattanooga Vision Center at Northgate Park, was reported multiple times in November for circulating a widely debunked misinterpretation of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data saying that people who wore masks were more likely to get COVID-19 than people without them and that wearing one increases a person's risk of infection.
The article, written by a nutritionist and anti-vaccine advocate who has been fined by the federal government for selling misleading health products, describes masks as "political and psychological tools." According to the Associated Press, millions of people have seen this and similar posts on Facebook.
On Oct. 14, the CDC addressed the misinformation on Twitter, writing, "The interpretation that more mask-wearers are getting infected compared to non-mask wearers is incorrect" and included more context to the data that was being misinterpreted.
The materials Reynolds handed out included analysis by an Oklahoma ophthalmologist who is an anti-vaccine advocate and whose Twitter account includes hashtags and other references to the QAnon conspiracy theory, which holds that there is a cabal of cannibalistic, child-molesting Democrats whose power can only be held in check by a mysterious government figure named Q.
Reynolds did not respond to several requests for comment by phone over multiple days but said in an email that he is "not an anti-mask physician." He said his office requires masks as part of the countywide mask mandate.
"I am an antiviral physician, and I believe there are additional modalities available, in addition to wearing a mask, to implement in an attempt to stop the spread of this deadly virus," Reynolds wrote in the email. " In summary, I believe we should be doing everything possible to protect ourselves from contracting this terrible disease."
Reynolds did not respond to follow-up questions about his motivation for distributing the information, why he was doing so from his licensed office and whether he had a response to the complaints against him
The Hamilton County Health Department said its hotline received three complaints regarding Reynolds between Nov. 12 and Dec. 1. Becky Barnes, health department administrator, said callers were referred to the state's medical provider complaint line.
The Tennessee Department of Health could not confirm or deny any complaints were made against Reynolds since he is a licensed medical provider and complaints of that nature are confidential.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that patients and ophthalmologists wear a mask at all times, regardless of the prevalence of COVID-19 in the region. The academy also recommends that patients, regardless of whether they have COVID-19 symptoms or are considered in a high-risk group, do not remove their masks at any time while in a clinic.
Several negative reviews about Reynolds and his distribution of anti-mask literature appeared in recent days on Healthgrades, a website that allows patients to review medical providers.
Local and national health experts, as well as Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger, have emphasized the effectiveness of masks in slowing the spread of COVID-19, especially when combined with other safety measures such as physical distancing and hand washing. Hamilton County is under a mask mandate through at least Jan. 15.
Contact Wyatt Massey at wmassey@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249. Follow him on Twitter @news4mass.