We were badly led

Vincent J. Curtis

29 Oct 22

RE: Ex-Ontario science table advisor calls for mask mandates.  A CP story by Allison Jones.  The Hamilton Spectator 29 Oct 22

If you need a lesson on how badly misled we were and how badly mismanaged the Health Care system was, look no further than the call by Dr.Fahad Razek, the ex-head of the now defunct Ontario “science table” for a return of mask mandates.

There was never much science behind the imposition of the mask mandate or social distancing.  It seemed commonsensical; that was all.  But mask mandates failed to prevent or did anything to mitigate waves 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6.  In addition, Dr. Razak failed to explain how a mask that did not seal closely to the face was supposed to seal viruses out, or in; and never mind whether the filtration material could remove a particle as small as a virus.  In the end, the virus proved too contagious to be contained by any measures or combination of measures on a wide scale.

The healthcare system was converted into a massive COVID treatment arrangement that idled practically every other public health activity: cancer screenings, elective surgeries, and much else.  One group of workers were burned out, and now those who were idled are overwhelmed by the backlog.  Walking and chewing gum at the same time proved beyond the talents of the science table.

Looking back, we see the credentialed class were faking it all along.  They were reduced to trial and error.  But the call for a return to mask mandates is a shameless demonstration of chutzpah, that they were right in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

They learned nothing from the pandemic experience.  But I think the rest of us have.

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