Thread by @jcjames_ca

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 The problem is that scientific activity is not equipped to answer generalities such as "do masks work?" It can only say things like "is it leaking in this context", "does it stop a particle in this context", etc.

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 Also, studies were mostly about chirurgical masks but now that there is so many type of masks it makes things even more complicated.

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 In a controlled environment, masks and face shields prove to offer some protection, but I agree that in an unpredictable / chaotic environment, masks provides no benefit - at the very least I am waiting to see well made studies on that.

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 So when it comes to masks in the population it is indeed arrogant to claim that this is an answer and politicians should not be saying "science says it works". This is really bad. They really haven't learned from the past scienctific communication crises.

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 Which is doubtful and brings even more resistance from the population.

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 When it comes to face shields, I have to say that given the studies clearly showing that certain types of environments are riskier (health care facilities, healthcare workers, grocery store workers), FS are much better than masks: better [...]

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 better retentive protection, easy to wear and does not induce unnecessary manipulations, easier to clean and highly reusable, socialization is much easier and breathing too, which is quite important for people with a weak heart and old people.

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 Of course, I'm mainly saying that for future epidemics since this one seems to be about to end or become endemic - from a research standpoint, it will take another 3 to 6 months to be absolutely certain.

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 That being said, I am not in favor of “hiding behind a mask indefinitely” as politicians, WHO and their Goalkeepers are saying.

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 It shows a complete incompetence in establishing a dialogue or even just explaining in layman terms why herd immunity is sometimes not enough and why corona viruses would be of this category.

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 Vaccines are great inventions. But it's engineering (technoscience). The science of vaccines should aim to establish the limits within which each vaccine technology can be use safely and make sure that those technologies are scientifically well understood [...]

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 (which is almost impossible to do - cf. "Praise Of Chromosome 'Folly' " by A. Lima-De-Faria - no surprise he is from Sweden!).

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 I do not see this, I only hear about technosciences and it is not surprising because the new generations are being trained to think about science this way which is abolutley wrong in my opinion.

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 That is why I encourage people and researchers to read Henri Laborit and Nancy Cartwright (the philosopher) to begin with.

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 For example, I find RNA vaccines fascinating from a technoscientific point of view. But, because my scientific mind conflicts with the ethical issues within technosciences, I would not take one as a civilian.

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 I'll stick with vaccines based on older and well mastered technologies for the next two decades - issue will arise if the "market" abandoned the old technology to force the promotion of the new ones,

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 which happens all the time and creates even more reluctancy or depression (inhibition of action) on the population side.

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 There is also a paradigm shift in vaccine manufacturing which is really interesting ( americanpharmaceuticalreview.com/Featured-Artic… )

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 but between the theory and the reality, history has repeatedly shown that the gap is such that it hurts a lot of people. This is not acceptable and improved ethics and transparency are still far behind the industry as a whole. This is not acceptable and [...]

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 and for that I think it should be slowed down in order to delay science and ethics catch up with technoscience. The refusal of the latter only indicates the limits of the idealists pushing more and more technosciences, it is the neoliberal mentality.

@peakpilot @WENDLINGJeanMi1 @threadreaderapp unroll plz