I was prompted to start writing this post because of seeing reports of the grilling Dr Fauci got from Senators Rand Paul etc supposedly about the origins of Covid. But the reality was that they were entirely interested in his diaries and nothing about the origins question. At one point, Dr Fauci was asked to turn around and look at a selection of people who CLAIMED that they had been persecuted by Covid restrictions. The fact that any legally enforceable restrictions were ACTUALLY imposed by govt officials, whether the POTUS or State officials had nothing to do with it. The Senators ASSUMED that Dr Fauci had the responsibility.
FROM ChatGPT
“In the United States, no single person or agency authorized every COVID-19 measure. Different parts of the federal and state governments had different responsibilities.
- COVID-19 vaccines: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the first vaccines for emergency use under Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs). The legal authority came from the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), who declared that an emergency existed, allowing the FDA to issue EUAs.
- Vaccine recommendations: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), advised by its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), recommended who should receive the vaccines after the FDA authorized them.
- Mask guidance: The CDC issued public health guidance recommending when and where masks should be worn. These recommendations were not, by themselves, federal laws.
- Mask mandates: Most legally enforceable mask mandates were imposed by state governors, state health departments, county officials, and city governments, not by the federal government. Some federal agencies required masks in settings under their jurisdiction (such as certain federal facilities or transportation for periods), but there was no nationwide law passed by Congress requiring everyone to wear masks.
- President: President Donald Trump was in office when the first vaccines received EUAs in December 2020. His administration supported vaccine development through Operation Warp Speed, but the FDA made the authorization decisions independently under its statutory authority.
In short:
- FDA → authorized COVID-19 vaccines.
- CDC → issued masking and vaccination guidance.
- State and local governments → enacted most mask mandates.
- HHS Secretary → declared the emergency that enabled FDA emergency authorizations. “
So I started to think about Covid restrictions and Precautions:
Unless you live alone on an otherwise deserted island, you live in a community which enacts something called the Social Contract. This is an agreement that we all accept a few restrictions to our life and behaviour in order to keep the community safe. Examples are speed limits, traffic lights, faithfulness in marriage, theft is wrong etc etc.
When there’s a dire threat due to a new pathogen, then we all should accept restrictions to prevent infections and death. Until further data becomes available, we apply The Precautionary Principle. We prevent all behaviour for the sake of all around us. When scientific studies reveal data showing that some of those restrictions are not necessary they can be ended. It’s a case of ‘we are all our brothers keeper’
When Sars-cov2 was discovered in December 2019 the precautionary principle should be invoked. It was a novel virus and little was known about its effects, how it’s transmitted, how it’s cured, its long term sequelae etc etc.
Examples would include washing hands to prevent fomite transmission, disinfecting things we touch regularly, keep away from people, isolating if sick, wearing masks. When vaccines became available, getting jabbed.
Things could be tentatively assumed but not relied upon until verified by experiential data.
With Covid some assumptions were made early on, some by highly qualified persons. The most serious was made by WHO CEO Dr Mike Ryan, who on 11 February 2020 overruled the director by categorically stating that SARS-COV2 was NOT AIRBORNE. Some time later The former Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization is Dr. Soumya Swaminathan stated that Ryan’s statement was the most catastrophically wrong. He had no data on which his statement was based. Possibly 100,000s died because of that dangerous advice. To date, 5 years on, I’ve heard of no apology from Ryan.
China and Hong Kong had experienced the brunt of SARS1 in 2003-4 where it was obvious the virus was airborne. SARS1 & SARS-COV2 are both Coronaviruses. In 2020 China assumed it was airborne and everybody started wearing masks on 23 Jan and later N95 in mid February when supplies became available.
Dr Fauci initially recommended masks be preserved for Healthcare workers due to shortage of supply. Shortly after he recommended them for all.
In October 2020 Jay Bhattacharya (a Health economist with medical training but no clinical practice) recommended that everyone get infected in order to induce herd (survivor) immunity. He had no data to back this up. A few viruses did give long term immunity (measles) but many including older Coronaviruses did not. Even the flu mutates and changes every year requiring new vaccines annually. Furthermore he failed to consider long term sequelae as a hazard. Though rare, measles has a deadly long term possibility of SSPE for which there is no cure. Even by October Long Covid was being experienced by some patients. Furthermore new variants started to crop up causing reinfections, proving long term immunity to be a falacy. Alpha was first detected in sample taken on 20 September 2020 in London and Kent.
Hand washing (According to ChatGPT)
Yes, hand washing is still recommended, but its importance for preventing COVID-19 is less than originally thought because we now know the virus spreads primarily through the air.
Current evidence shows:
- The main route of transmission is inhaling virus-containing aerosols and droplets released when an infected person breathes, talks, coughs, or sings.
- Surface (fomite) transmission is possible but uncommon. Touching a contaminated surface and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth can theoretically transmit the virus, but this is not considered a major driver of spread.
Hand washing remains a good practice because it:
- Reduces the already low risk of catching COVID-19 from contaminated hands.
- Is highly effective at preventing many other infections, including norovirus, influenza, and common gastrointestinal illnesses.
- Is especially important before eating, after using the toilet, after blowing your nose, and after caring for someone who is ill.
For COVID-19 specifically, the measures with the greatest impact are:
- Good ventilation and cleaner indoor air.
- Wearing a well-fitting high-quality mask (such as an N95/FFP2) in high-risk indoor settings.
- Staying home when ill.
- Keeping up to date with vaccination if appropriate for your age and risk factors.
So, hand washing is worthwhile and recommended, but it is not the primary way to prevent COVID-19. Airborne precautions are much more important.
While I have no medical training nor relevant science background, I do draw my conclusions from recognised medical experts and scientists who form the current consensus of opinion related to Covid.
My experience has been similar or identical to nearly everyone else. I began by disinfecting everything, washing my hands for 20 seconds frequently etc. As you’ve read from the above, disinfecting and hand washing has had little if any effect on the transmission of SARS_CoV2, yet the hand washing thing has persisted everywhere. Yes it’s a good hygene routine to follow and particularly important wrt to certain pathogens like norovirus which is unaffected by disinfectants. The washing however rinses they pathogen away, rather than eliminating it clinically. The Common Cold and Influenza are both known to be fomite driven so hand washing and disinfecting are important weapons against them.
About six months ago I remember reading about Dr Chris Whitty’s (UK Chief Medical Officer) recommendations wrt to Covid. I was horrified that at the top of his list was handwashing vaccines, yet not a single mention of decent respirataors (N95/FFP2). I had previously had a high regard for him, following a lecture he gave in 2018 on how to respond to pandemic threats. That respect has gone.
Will Newcomb's Witterings 