Authored by Mac Slavo via SHTFplan.com,
This is irony at its finest.
The United States Surgeon General used twitter to tell the public to NOT use face masks to protect against the coronavirus because they don’t work, they only work for health care workers. Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering a recommendation that people wear masks when in public.
We all remember this – when Surgeon General Jerome Adams tweet said it all “Stop Buying Masks!”:
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://t.co/UxZRwxxKL9— U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) February 29, 2020
He was not alone.
World Health Organization officials Monday said they still recommend people not wear face masks unless they are sick with Covid-19 or caring for someone who is sick.
“There is no specific evidence to suggest that the wearing of masks by the mass population has any potential benefit. In fact, there’s some evidence to suggest the opposite in the misuse of wearing a mask properly or fitting it properly,” Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO health emergencies program, said at a media briefing in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday.
“There also is the issue that we have a massive global shortage,” Ryan said about masks and other medical supplies.
“Right now the people most at risk from this virus are frontline health workers who are exposed to the virus every second of every day. The thought of them not having masks is horrific.”
We were told that face masks weren’t effective at preventing a coronavirus infection unless we are a healthcare worker, but now the CDC is saying otherwise.
There’s still no consensus (meaning someone from the government hasn’t made a decision yet) on whether widespread use of facial coverings would make a significant difference, and some infectious disease experts worry that masks could lull people into a false sense of security and make them less disciplined about social distancing, according to a report by The Washington Post.
But studies done by doctors in the medical field have shown properly fitting N95 face masks to be about 80% effective.
They are certainly better than nothing and could be used to get people back in public and the economy on a roll again. It’s an “ongoing discussion” however, and nothing has been finalized. The official, who asked to remain anonymous, said the new guidance would make clear that the general public should not use medical masks – including surgical and N95 masks – that are in desperately short supply and needed by health-care workers. So once again, the guidelines would be to “cover your face” not use a respirator that could actually stand a chance at protecting you.
Nassim Taleb had strong feelings about the bullshit…
This is the strongest statistical association I’ve seen w/ respect to the virus. Wear a mask, mandate others to wear masks, & remember that @WHO is criminally incompetent. To repeat:@WHO is criminally incompetent.
PS-Don’t get into elevators, buses, etc. unless your mask in N95 https://t.co/ZCkl3hql9K
— Nassim Nicholas Taleb (@nntaleb) March 31, 2020
At the daily White House briefing Monday, President Trump was asked if everyone should wear nonmedical fabric masks.
“That’s certainly something we could discuss,” Trump said, adding, “it could be something like that for a limited period of time.”
It seems like the government can’t make up their mind on just about anything. But the one thing they have been doing is expanding their power and getting the docile population in a constant state of fear.