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That’s not the primary reason. They selfishly wanted to protect mask supplies for medical use and so spread FUD around public mask usage. It was criminal and pe
by merpnderp 6y ago
That’s not the primary reason. They selfishly wanted to protect mask supplies for medical use and so spread FUD around public mask usage. It was criminal and people should be held accountable. Masks work for some value and whatever that value is, it accumulates as more people wear masks, and the idiots in charge gave up months of that reduction so that people wouldn’t buy up all the masks at Home Depot. Only they still bought all the masks, and then used the CDC’s own FUD as their own to not wear them and convince everyone else not to wear them.
- paulsutter 6y agoWhen I bought my N95 masks in mid february, every Home Depot has already been cleared out and the masks sent to China where they were valuable. I had to visit 5 stores to buy a few leftover. That was well before the CDC and surgeon general were telling people masks are bad for you don’t buy them. The masks were long gone by then.
- lsiebert 6y agoI don't consider that selfish. It's like Triage. Healthy doctors and other medical professionals are of special importance in a pandemic, and preserving supplies of protective equipment for them was especially important.
- buildbot 6y agoIt’s selfish when the advice isn’t “we need n95s, everyone else please at least pull your shirt over your nose” White lies are still lies that cause people to lose faith in any advice you might have.
- watwut 6y agoGiven how easy it is to create home made mask which is better then none, it is absurd.
- thaumasiotes 6y ago> That’s not the primary reason. They selfishly wanted to protect mask supplies for medical use and so spread FUD around public mask usage. No, this is specifically addressed in the SSC piece. The CDC has been against masks for many years; their advice on masks this year was the same advice they've always given. There is absolutely no reason to believe they put any further thought into it than that.
- oezi 6y agoFor what is worth: many health authorities world-wide have used the same strategy (conserve mask for healthcare by not advocating/dissuading their use). Taiwan and Korea being notable outliers. So it is not that the CDC was malicious / selfish / conspiring. They did what they believed was the best policy response. Even if we know better now that they should have just published instructions on making community masks and advocating their use.