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Fauci admits masks weren’t initially recommended due to short supply, not efficacy

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I wrote an article a few days ago where I challenged the reputation and guidance of the WHO regarding masks. They now recommend medical masks for those who are vulnerable and elderly. It defies logic that this is just now being recommended, and underscores not only lethargy in policy, but their institutional credibility.  Several people commented on this post conflating my criticism with a political statement – which is simply absurd.  This was never my intention, but rather to urge readers to think logically, and more importantly think for themselves, which includes challenging narratives that simply don’t make sense. Masks are required or recommended around the world now, and US airlines are now mandating masks be worn by customers, even threatening to ban you if you don’t comply.

We just learned this…. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and head of Trump’s Covid Task Force, just admitted the initial guidance against facemasks was in fact a lie. In fact, it was motivated by what many suspected…a lack in supply, specifically for front line workers.

Here’s a statement from Fauci regarding the opinion of health experts in March and why they said masks wouldn’t really help the general public. It wasn’t so much they wouldn’t, but rather they were in short supply. Health experts…

“were concerned that it was at a time when personal protective equipment, including the N95 masks and the surgical masks, were in very short supply.” He went on to say, “We wanted to make sure that the people, namely the health care workers, who were brave enough to put themselves in a harm way, to take care of people who you know were infected with the coronavirus and the danger of them getting infected,”

I don’t blame advisors for taking this stance one bit, but a better approach would have been to tell the public there was short supply, that there had been miscalculations, and to respectfully refrain from purchasing masks to aid health workers who need them more. People still stockpiled everything, and most people didn’t believe this narrative one bit. Just look at China, Korea, Japan, Singapore where the outbreaks started and spread quickly, and all you saw were masses of people in masks. Creating a false narrative to save face undermines the credibility of institutions that the public trust, and underscores the cover up is always worse than the crime saying.

Much of what is accomplished in points and miles requires thinking for oneself, finding ways to use the  information given, and applying it in a way that may actually counter the system. That is the point of articles like this, whether it be in life, or your travel goals. Observe, research, and draw conclusions based off information rather than political narrative.

Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

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18 Comments

  • AlohaDaveKennedy June 17, 2020

    Why didn’t the WHO and CDC warn us that toilet paper and disinfecting wipes cancer? Would have completely eliminated seeing those idiots with pickup trucks clearing out local stores and hoping to make a killing online. At least that lie would have been less harmful than their mask charade. And why did it take these medical quacks take so long to discover prednisone or dexamethasone would prove useful in treating Covid 19. They knew those with asthma were in the high risk group, they treated Covid 19 patients with asthma, they new both steroids are used to treat severe asthma attacks and they knew that Covid 19 and asthma both lead to inflammation that can be fatal. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that the steroids should have been investigated as a treatment from day 1. Perhaps they were saving the steroids for those of us with asthma while throwing the Covid 19 patients under the bus? Maybe they can try to salvage their sullied reputation by telling high risk groups, like blacks, to get the hell out of the BLM crowds. Due to higher instances of asthma, among other factors, BLM sending blacks into crowds with no social distancing will likely cause the death of more blacks this year than the police.

  • Howard June 17, 2020

    More doctors lied to the public. Shocker.

    I stopped trusting police 5-6 years ago.
    I never trusted politicians
    And the public health response around the world to covid makes me never trust those people again.

    Lockdown? For a flu like virus?
    Ok, the first two weeks… I guess we didn’t know. It could have killed 3% of people… or something.

    But, when the data comes out that says… actually it kills. .26% of people.
    Why didn’t the entire system just say ‘whoops, yeah, sorry, we screwed this one up’?

    Because, or government is never ever held to account. So why start with life and death?
    Sorry gang, the ship is sinking under the weight of all this government.

    And the funny thing is, what most people will demand… is more government.
    Even when it lies directly to them.

  • Jackson Henderson June 17, 2020

    Maybe he was following WHO advice. The WHO also denounced travel bans when it would have stopped the spread if done earlier. They were wrong on masks and wrong on travel bans.

    Fauci must know masks are effective at stopping the spread. Initial studies done took into account how people wear the masks. It is very easy to eliminate the benefit if you are touching your face without decontaminating your hands. Now we know surface contamination is not as bad as thought.

    Fauci obviously is a leader in his field. I knew about him from watching AIDS documentaries where he was denounced for not getting AZT approved fast enough and then denounced when AZT was shown to be very toxic. It works great but doses initially given were way too high. Fauci is bureaucrat, though. He has a bureaucratic agenda.

    President Trump did a decent job handling the crisis. The only thing he should have done is said surgical masks, N95s, and ventilators are being manufactured by companies. The U.S. government is not 3M and doesn’t make masks. There is a short supply and high demand. Every day there will be more supplies produced and available for medical personnel. All those press conferences where the press asked the same questions over and over about masks and ventilators were unnecessary. Masks can’t be pulled out of thin air. Just say how much are produced everyday by manufacturers and that’s it. No reason for questions about it. Now there is more supply of surgical masks and Chinese made KN95 masks. They work. That’s why the economy can open up.

    • debit June 17, 2020

      President Trump did a decent job handling the crisis.

      ^ Haha Haha Haha.

      I do agree with trump. WHO needs to justify its existence. It’s not earning its keep. This is a warfare wrought by china on the world and WHO abetted it willfully or negligently. WHO refuses to recognize Taiwan which can only mean they are beholden to Chinese money. Stop giving them credibility if they are just Chinese agents.

  • Pete June 17, 2020

    Talk about your revisionist history…
    The CV task force made it clear early on the masks were in short supply and that any face covering would be better than nothing.

    Given the American propensity to hoard ANYTHING you really think anyone cares what’s available to the health care worker as long as they has several thousand stowed away in their garage?

    To this day, a segment of the population would rather give their grandmother Covid than wear a mask. Monday morning quarterbacking at its best.

    • Miles June 17, 2020

      Pete – You sound like an open minded and reasonable reader so perhaps you could share some light on these words by the Surgeon General on 2.29:

      Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS!

      They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!

      https://twitter.com/Surgeon_General/status/1233725785283932160

      • debit June 17, 2020

        Fauci is not surgeon general. Surgeon general is a political appointment.

        If this entire post was to say donald trump Trump a POS then you didn’t need to write it.

        • Miles June 17, 2020

          Comment referred to task force. SG is on task force. Fauci is also a political appointment. Medical Tweets from either while members of CVTF would be de facto advice from task force unless explicitly stated. Not really sure where you’re building your argument but it seems as logical as using debit en lieu of credit

          • debit June 17, 2020

            Well at least you have stopped censoring my comments wherever the moniker confusion might be.

            In any case fauci is a temporary appointment on the task force who i think is impeccable in his integrity and will go where the science leads him. While trump and the other political appointees might spin it. Some to save their paychecks and trump to just appear always right.

  • AB June 17, 2020

    “I don’t blame advisors for taking this stance one bit, but a better approach would have been to tell the public there was short supply, that there had been miscalculations, and to respectfully refrain from purchasing masks to aid health workers who need them more.”
    > Nope, it won’t work.

    “People still stockpiled everything, and most people didn’t believe this narrative one bit.”
    > That’s why it didn’t, doesn’t, and won’t work.

    “Just look at China, Korea, Japan, Singapore where the outbreaks started and spread quickly, and all you saw were masses of people in masks.”
    > Cause they’re not American?

    “Creating a false narrative to save face undermines the credibility of institutions that the public trust, and underscores the cover up is always worse than the crime saying.”
    > It’s called triage. Either:
    1). You lied and slow down the general public case fatality rate OR
    2). Tell the truth and let the frontline workers die.
    So… 1 or 2?

  • dot June 17, 2020

    poor excuse

  • Conway June 17, 2020

    Want your blood to boil? Back in MARCH YouTube channel “Asia Boss” did an interview with a South Korean corona virus expert and the issue of CDC/Fauci being anti-mask came up! Here is the link…skip to 15:50 into the video! The whole video is worth watching and remember South Korea knew all this MONTHS ago. If the Americans started wearing masks back in FEBRUARY how many lives would have been saved?! How much BLOOD does Fauci have on his hands?

    https://youtu.be/gAk7aX5hksU

  • debit June 17, 2020

    They could said as much.: maskd are effective but please don’t buy we need them for our doctors.

    But that wouldn’t have worked because they knew Americans are assholes. They only think if themselves, the selfish bastards. But who can blame them. They are taught so under capitalism. Think only about yourself.

    • Matty Tailwinds June 17, 2020

      Americans are assholes who deserve to be lied to because they are taught capitalism? Please die.

      • debit June 17, 2020

        Please die?

        Why?

  • Geoff June 17, 2020

    So in retrospect we were supposed to not believe him then but believe him now? I think masks are a giant pain and are only partially effective, but I’ll dutifully do my part. But his backpedal in now publicly blaming a shortage as a reason NOT to wear one originally leaves a lot of room for second-guessing and misinformation. “Oh, hey guys, just kidding. You should wear one…”

    • Miles June 17, 2020

      Exactly to my point…credibility undermined

      • Walter H June 18, 2020

        I heard him say he wears a mask as a symbolic gesture.

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