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Don't you think it makes sense that as we learned about how the virus spreads, and as the number of people infected exploded, that the mask recommendation might
by jmull 6y ago
Don't you think it makes sense that as we learned about how the virus spreads, and as the number of people infected exploded, that the mask recommendation might change?
I think you're trying to mock scientific experts, but what kind of expert would NOT be willing to change their recommendation based on new, strong, contrary information?
Of course experts would prefer not to make a recommendation until all the facts are known, to avoid being wrong. But that simply was not (still and is not) possible with the pandemic.
We have to decide how to react with the information we have and it's just rational to be willing to change our decision based on strong new information.
- clinta 6y agoThis is not what happened, not in the US anyway. Fauci, after the recommendations changed, admitted that masks were discouraged to prioritize them for first responders[1]. So we have government health experts publicly saying they engaged in misinformation. But they are the experts against which every other opinion is to be judged as misinformation. 1: https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/502890-fauci-why-the-public-wasnt-told-to-wear-masks https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-c...
- scoutt 6y agoI am not in favor or against Fauci or his comments (I am not even american), and I am not a linguist either so perhaps you can help me: Is "not recommended" == "discouraged"? "He also acknowledged that masks were initially not recommended to the general public so that first responders wouldn’t feel the strain of a shortage of PPE." As far as I understand, 'discouraging' is to saying publicly "Do not buy masks" and 'not recommending' might be just that, as in, not saying "Go and buy a masks or you'll spread the disease".
- clinta 6y agoHe actively discouraged mask use. Fauci and the Surgeon General said wearing a mask was more likely to get you sick because you would touch your face more. "You can increase your risk of getting it by wearing a mask if you are not a health care provider," Adams said. "Folks who don't know how to wear them properly tend to touch their faces a lot and actually can increase the spread of coronavirus," he added. https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-dont-need-masks-pence-says-as-demand-increases-2020-2 https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-dont-need-masks-pe...
- scoutt 6y agoThanks. I don't know the whole story, but I cannot find Fauci's name (ctrl + F) in the last article you linked. It mentions a Surgeon and a Vice President. Surgeon General Jerome Adams and Vice President Mike Pence have urged people against buying and wearing masks.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- christophilus 6y agoThe point is, if every platform pulls a YouTube, there will never be new, strong contrary information. It’s a tough problem. But scientific advancement depends on the ability to challenge broadly held opinion. I think part of the solution to the misinformation problem is to A) have a much better education system, and B) have much better media presentation around the facts. If you don’t have A, all is lost ultimately. There’s not much hope for democracy if the majority of the citizens are misinformed and incapable of critical thought.
- andi999 6y agoScientific advancement doesnt happen through youtube though, but peer reviewed journals.