Quote:
Originally Posted by SNIPERBBB
If you recall, people were being told they didn't work at that time ...
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What's they? Didn't work doing what? Not sure what the point is?
Yes, medical and research professionals made some early mistakes, but these mistakes weren't quite as simple as some make them out to be, these scientists were not a bunch of nincompoops (a word often used by my German grandmother).
I do recall medical and research professionals saying (incorrectly) that masks wouldn't be necessary (except for those infected and for health care workers),
not that they didn't work, but because they believed that asymptomatic spread did not occur with the novel coronavirus.
I also recall medical and research professionals saying (somewhat incorrectly) that anything short of an N-95 mask (like a cloth surgical style mask) would do no good protecting one's self (didn't worry about protecting others because they didn't believe in symptomatic spread).
Scientists have known for a long time (certainly pre-COVID-19), that cloth surgical-style masks were somewhat effective at preventing the spread of viruses
exhaled in respiratory droplets.
In any case, "at that time" (early 2020), they were incorrect about asymptomatic/presymptomatic spread, and they may have been somewhat incorrect that cloth surgical style masks would do absolutely no good protecting one's self (as it turns out they may somewhat reduce the devastating effects of the virus).
Other than finger pointing,
why live in the past, science marches on with further research.
That's how science works. Aristotle believed in the Theory of Spontaneous Generation. Pasteur proved Aristotle wrong. Science was wrong for 2000 years, but it moves forward, it moves on, that's science.
This novel coronavirus was a brand new human disease in late 2019/early 2020. We learn new things about this novel virus all the time.
Science
now tells us to socially distance, wear a mask, and to wash our hands.
It's the best scientific advice we have right now,
that advice may eventually change, but until that time we should follow the most up to date advice that we get.
Socially distance (minimum six feet) when possible; when not possible to socially distance wear a mask (for those who medically can) to protect others (and possibly one's self); and wash our hands (or use 80% ethanol or 75% isopropyl alcohol hand sanitizer) often.
It's science, and it's our best bet to get through this in the short term, with as little suffering and death as possible, and to get our economy, education, and health care systems back on track, on track with all of us healthy enough so these systems don't collapse again.
It's the same science that may eventually come up with a safe effective COVID-19 vaccine, or much more effective COVID-19 treatments.
Or we can do nothing, back to work, back to school, no social distancing, no masks, no hand washing, no testing, no contact tracing, treat it like the flu, but with no vaccine. Allow Darwin's Natural Selection to take over, with active immunity building up, and the fittest surviving after a lots of suffering and death and ups and downs with our economy, education, and health care systems.
That's also science.
I chose the former.
Anybody 100% all in with the later? I'm 66, have a heart condition, and have already survived one heart attack. Should I find myself an iceberg? Anybody want to go 50/50 on buying an iceberg for two?
I would like to spend a little more time with my four grandsons before I go to the happy basketball court in the sky. Is it too much for me to ask everyone to wear a mask (I'm sorry that your glasses fog up)?
