Fauci To Receive Award Named After Boy Whose Childhood He Ruined

[Sparko]

It's not so much a matter of what was true, as a matter of what was known at the time.

You seem to get that when talking about whether someone on these boards lied, but not when talking about whether Fauci lied.

Him admitting that he "discouraged wearing masks to protect the supply" shows that he had that information back then.

So answer me. Are non-N95 masks ineffective and do they contribute to the spread of COVID because people fiddle with them?

[Stoic]

Him admitting that he "discouraged wearing masks to protect the supply" shows that he had that information back then.

No, it doesn't show that he knew about asymptomatic transmission, nor that fomites are not a significant source of infection.

So answer me. Are non-N95 masks ineffective and do they contribute to the spread of COVID because people fiddle with them?

As Fauci said on March 8, 2020 (as seen in rogue's post), non-N95 masks are helpful in keeping infected people from transmitting the virus to others, and even provide a little protection for the wearer.

And as we now know, fiddling with them (picking up or spreading fomites) isn't going to be significantly harmful.

[Sparko]

No, it doesn't show that he knew about asymptomatic transmission, nor that fomites are not a significant source of infection.


As Fauci said on March 8, 2020 (as seen in rogue's post), non-N95 masks are helpful in keeping infected people from transmitting the virus to others, and even provide a little protection for the wearer.

And as we now know, fiddling with them (picking up or spreading fomites) isn't going to be significantly harmful.

That's not what he said and you know it.

"There's no reason to be walking around with a mask," infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci told 60 Minutes.
While masks may block some droplets, Fauci said, they do not provide the level of protection people think they do. Wearing a mask may also have unintended consequences: People who wear masks tend to touch their face more often to adjust them, which can spread germs from their hands.

So if masks are ineffectual and can actually cause spreading of COVID, then he is lying NOW when he wants us to wear masks everywhere. If he is telling the truth now, he was lying then. Doctors know how masks work and have known for decades. This isn't some new information they just figured out.

[Stoic]

That's not what he said and you know it.

"There's no reason to be walking around with a mask," infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci told 60 Minutes.
While masks may block some droplets, Fauci said, they do not provide the level of protection people think they do. Wearing a mask may also have unintended consequences: People who wear masks tend to touch their face more often to adjust them, which can spread germs from their hands.

So if masks are ineffectual and can actually cause spreading of COVID, then he is lying NOW when he wants us to wear masks everywhere. If he is telling the truth now, he was lying then. Doctors know how masks work and have known for decades. This isn't some new information they just figured out.

Here's a transcript of that interview you are referring to:

LaPook, March 8: There’s a lot of confusion among people, and misinformation, surrounding face masks. Can you discuss that?

Fauci: The masks are important for someone who’s infected to prevent them from infecting someone else… Right now in the United States, people should not be walking around with masks.

LaPook: You’re sure of it? Because people are listening really closely to this.

Fauci: …There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask. When you’re in the middle of an outbreak, wearing a mask might make people feel a little bit better and it might even block a droplet, but it’s not providing the perfect protection that people think that it is. And, often, there are unintended consequences — people keep fiddling with the mask and they keep touching their face.

LaPook: And can you get some schmutz, sort of staying inside there?

Fauci: Of course, of course. But, when you think masks, you should think of health care providers needing them and people who are ill. The people who, when you look at the films of foreign countries and you see 85% of the people wearing masks — that’s fine, that’s fine. I’m not against it. If you want to do it, that’s fine.

LaPook: But it can lead to a shortage of masks?

Fauci: Exactly, that’s the point. It could lead to a shortage of masks for the people who really need it.

Emphasis mine.

[Sparko]

Here's a transcript of that interview you are referring to:

LaPook, March 8: There’s a lot of confusion among people, and misinformation, surrounding face masks. Can you discuss that?

Fauci: The masks are important for someone who’s infected to prevent them from infecting someone else… Right now in the United States, people should not be walking around with masks.

LaPook: You’re sure of it? Because people are listening really closely to this.

Fauci: …There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask. When you’re in the middle of an outbreak, wearing a mask might make people feel a little bit better and it might even block a droplet, but it’s not providing the perfect protection that people think that it is. And, often, there are unintended consequences — people keep fiddling with the mask and they keep touching their face.

LaPook: And can you get some schmutz, sort of staying inside there?

Fauci: Of course, of course. But, when you think masks, you should think of health care providers needing them and people who are ill. The people who, when you look at the films of foreign countries and you see 85% of the people wearing masks — that’s fine, that’s fine. I’m not against it. If you want to do it, that’s fine.

LaPook: But it can lead to a shortage of masks?

Fauci: Exactly, that’s the point. It could lead to a shortage of masks for the people who really need it.

Emphasis mine.

yeah you ignore the other part where he says that people have no reason to wear a mask and that they can cause complications (read: infections)
And you ignore that for the 2 months previous to this interview he was pooh-poohing masks. This was in March. By April he had changed his stance and was telling people to wear masks. This was kind of in the middle where he was hedging his bets.

And you KNOW that the masks don't actually work. They might catch a few droplets but they don't stop air and droplets from escaping from around the edges of the mask. Anyone who wears glasses can attest to that. Fogs up your glasses badly. Cloth masks are a placebo. They do little or nothing to prevent spreading viruses. But once Fauci and others started promoting the masks everyone jumped on board and started coming up with reasons why masks "work" - despite the fact that they do very little. Like using a chain link fence to keep out mosquitos

[Stoic]

yeah you ignore the other part where he says that people have no reason to wear a mask and that they can cause complications (read: infections)

I don't ignore it. But it was clearly what he thought at the time.

And you ignore that for the 2 months previous to this interview he was pooh-poohing masks. This was in March. By April he had changed his stance and was telling people to wear masks. This was kind of in the middle where he was hedging his bets.

By April, we had good evidence that asymptomatic people could spread the disease. (I'm not sure exactly when we became less concerned about fomites.) This means that there are a lot of infected people walking around, spreading the disease to others without knowing it. If they wear masks, then they will be less likely to infect others. Or, as Fauci put it, "The masks are important for someone who’s infected to prevent them from infecting someone else." But when he said that, he didn't know that a lot of infected people would be walking around unintentionally infecting others.

And you KNOW that the masks don't actually work. They might catch a few droplets but they don't stop air and droplets from escaping from around the edges of the mask. Anyone who wears glasses can attest to that. Fogs up your glasses badly. Cloth masks are a placebo. They do little or nothing to prevent spreading viruses. But once Fauci and others started promoting the masks everyone jumped on board and started coming up with reasons why masks "work" - despite the fact that they do very little. Like using a chain link fence to keep out mosquitos

Masks work, as long as you don't define "work" as providing perfect protection. They are certainly a lot less effective at close distances, and in poorly ventilated indoor environments. And they work better at preventing the wearer from infecting others than they do at protecting the wearer. But by blocking some viral particles, masks reduce the likelihood of transmission. And from an epidemiologists POV, that means that at the very least, the number of cases will increase less rapidly. It might even mean that the number of cases will decrease, rather than increase, depending on other factors.

[Sparko]

I don't ignore it. But it was clearly what he thought at the time.


By April, we had good evidence that asymptomatic people could spread the disease. (I'm not sure exactly when we became less concerned about fomites.) This means that there are a lot of infected people walking around, spreading the disease to others without knowing it. If they wear masks, then they will be less likely to infect others. Or, as Fauci put it, "The masks are important for someone who’s infected to prevent them from infecting someone else." But when he said that, he didn't know that a lot of infected people would be walking around unintentionally infecting others.


Masks work, as long as you don't define "work" as providing perfect protection. They are certainly a lot less effective at close distances, and in poorly ventilated indoor environments. And they work better at preventing the wearer from infecting others than they do at protecting the wearer. But by blocking some viral particles, masks reduce the likelihood of transmission. And from an epidemiologists POV, that means that at the very least, the number of cases will increase less rapidly. It might even mean that the number of cases will decrease, rather than increase, depending on other factors.

Actually the CDC came out and said Asymptomatic people do NOT spread the disease. Then a couple of months ago they changed their mind again.

But I see there is not talking to you on this one, you have your mind made up and no evidence can change it. You just make up excuse after excuse.

[Stoic]

Actually the CDC came out and said Asymptomatic people do NOT spread the disease. Then a couple of months ago they changed their mind again.

I was using 'asymptomatic' in the colloquial sense of "not currently symptomatic". That study uses it in the technical sense of "not symptomatic for the duration of the infection".

Whether asymptomatic people (in the technical sense) spread the disease has been a matter of contention for most of the pandemic. Presymptomatic spread has been a lot less controversial, and is what I had in mind.

Also, that particular study does not necessarily reflect the position of the CDC:

"The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to Emerging Infectious Diseases do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions." - source

But I see there is not talking to you on this one, you have your mind made up and no evidence can change it. You just make up excuse after excuse.

I was thinking along similar lines.

[Sparko]

I was using 'asymptomatic' in the colloquial sense of "not currently symptomatic". That study uses it in the technical sense of "not symptomatic for the duration of the infection".

Remember my comment about making up any excuse? There you go.

[Stoic]

Remember my comment about making up any excuse? There you go.

Sometimes an explanation is an excuse. Sometimes it's just an explanation.