Mask Madness — Our Latest Moral Panic – William M. Briggs - wmbriggs.com/post/31883/
Statistician Dr. Matt Briggs: "Having healthy asymptomatic people wear masks at what is clearly the end of a routine pandemic is asinine."
In other words, masks on those who are sick, or those who with good reason to suspect are sick, in places like nursing homes is not a bad idea. Forcing masks on people in “passing encounters in public spaces” has no medical justification. None.
An army of screeching Karens patrols the land looking to berate those without fear faces. They are certain sure it is only a thin piece of material saving them from a gruesome end.
As said, it is probably not worth looking at the evidence of mask usefulness. People’s minds are made up.
But we’re doing it. Stupidly in part, but also purposely, because it fits the political goals of our dear leaders.
The AP, like our dear leaders, uses the term “cases” as if they were cases, i.e. illness requiring treatment. When what these foolish people mean is infections, symptomatic or not, past or present. It is medical malpractice to mix the two up.
This moral panic is like Prohibition. This time not against alcohol, but against breath. Three quarters of Americans falsely believe death is lurking in people’s breath.
It’s testing that has run amok. Reporters are too stupid or too complicit in driving the panic to realize this. Leaders don’t care: they just want to make it sting, because they’re frightened of being blamed, and for other obvious political reasons.
These “new cases” are a medically garbage indicator, which any competent doctor whose mind is not lost to politics would have told you. Before 2020, that is.
Leaders began shoving each other aside to see who could compose the strictest mandate. DC is the winner so far: it’s a criminal offense not to wear a mask, with a penalty of $1,000, the highest yet.
When are leaders get into a purity spiral, there is nothing to stop them—except the next crisis.
Evidence and reason are now utterly useless.
We might as well have a tinfoil hat mandate to protect from aliens. It would, at this point, be just as useful.
Testing shows no sign of slowing. It’s being driven by media reports of more and more “new” “cases”. Which causes more people to get tests. Which causes more “new” “cases”.
Having healthy asymptomatic people wear masks at what is clearly the end of a routine pandemic is asinine.
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