There is absolutely no gas-lighting, which please do not misuse the term[1]. Two people can have very different lived experiences within the same time period and expressing those earnestly is not gaslighting.
Which, judging by your use of the term “jab” I’m going to assume you are British or Irish, in which case we’ve certainly had different experiences as I’m a west-coast American.
My argument around N-95 versus cloth was that it was clear from day 1 to any reasonable person that N-95 offers better protection than cloth masks. We had two years of business and school closures, several stimulus packages etc. and it wasn’t until literally last week that the government put forward a plan to distribute N-95 masks at pharmacies at no cost. That should have been standard operating procedure from day 1, but not. Culture was too focused on the performative act of masking over actually using effectual masks.
And you mention “how waves start” and how that motivates how decisive action is taken. It was clear over a year ago that this virus was incredibly seasonal, with outbreaks aligning with when “inside time” happens (winter in the North of the USA, Summer in the South). It was clear over a year ago that this virus is entirely spread via aerosols, and is very unlikely to spread outside. Yet we were closing beaches and chastising unmasked people outside. And while we should all wash our hands, doing so doesn’t really impact an aerosolized respiratory virus. So if public health experts have been so prudently adjusting advice based on constantly evolving data, why were we all so married to the NPIs that we decided on in March 2020? It seems everyone picked their “side” then and refused to cede an inch to the other “side”, which is abhorrent behavior all around.
Of course vaccines have reduced death and hospitalization. As of right now, 74% of adult Americans are fully vaccinated. That means 74% of adults have very strong protection against severe illness. 88% of 65+ adults are protected via two doses. A year ago this would have been considered a miracle. On top of that we have an antiviral that reduces severe disease risk greatly even and especially among high risk. Any of these miracles, (vaccines, treatments) on 2020 would have been enough to avoid lockdowns (and maybe even masks) but now in 2022, we get the constant drumbeat of “well it’s not _quite_ safe enough yet”.
That is why I say the goal posts have moved. Almost anyone in the USA who wants protection can get it _for free_ and we still aren’t living life anywhere near “normally”. That is absurd.
Comments
There is absolutely no gas-lighting, which please do not misuse the term[1]. Two people can have very different lived experiences within the same time period and expressing those earnestly is not gaslighting.
Which, judging by your use of the term “jab” I’m going to assume you are British or Irish, in which case we’ve certainly had different experiences as I’m a west-coast American.
My argument around N-95 versus cloth was that it was clear from day 1 to any reasonable person that N-95 offers better protection than cloth masks. We had two years of business and school closures, several stimulus packages etc. and it wasn’t until literally last week that the government put forward a plan to distribute N-95 masks at pharmacies at no cost. That should have been standard operating procedure from day 1, but not. Culture was too focused on the performative act of masking over actually using effectual masks.
And you mention “how waves start” and how that motivates how decisive action is taken. It was clear over a year ago that this virus was incredibly seasonal, with outbreaks aligning with when “inside time” happens (winter in the North of the USA, Summer in the South). It was clear over a year ago that this virus is entirely spread via aerosols, and is very unlikely to spread outside. Yet we were closing beaches and chastising unmasked people outside. And while we should all wash our hands, doing so doesn’t really impact an aerosolized respiratory virus. So if public health experts have been so prudently adjusting advice based on constantly evolving data, why were we all so married to the NPIs that we decided on in March 2020? It seems everyone picked their “side” then and refused to cede an inch to the other “side”, which is abhorrent behavior all around.
Of course vaccines have reduced death and hospitalization. As of right now, 74% of adult Americans are fully vaccinated. That means 74% of adults have very strong protection against severe illness. 88% of 65+ adults are protected via two doses. A year ago this would have been considered a miracle. On top of that we have an antiviral that reduces severe disease risk greatly even and especially among high risk. Any of these miracles, (vaccines, treatments) on 2020 would have been enough to avoid lockdowns (and maybe even masks) but now in 2022, we get the constant drumbeat of “well it’s not _quite_ safe enough yet”.
That is why I say the goal posts have moved. Almost anyone in the USA who wants protection can get it _for free_ and we still aren’t living life anywhere near “normally”. That is absurd.
[1] https://www.wellandgood.com/misuse-gaslighting/amp/