Early on, they thought Covid was spread only by droplet, not airborne (aerosolized). Many, many viruses can be spread via droplet (monkeypox, for instance). Airborne viruses (such as chickenpox) can be spread from one hospital floor to another, despite stringent protocols. They are h*** on wheels.
Hence, while thinking this, they flat out lied when they claimed masks were useless — and later Fauci had to admit they lied because they were afraid we little people would snag all the masks which were in short supply, leaving too few for frontline healthcare workers. Well, we had too few for healthcare workers anyway, thanks to not having sufficient stocks on hand and our reliance on importing masks from China.
The idea that a stupid bandana or cloth mask could protect one from an airborne virus was ludicrous, but they recommended them anyway (as a way of giving us a way of feeling more in control and protected, despite the facts). A sort of “magic talisman”, if you will.
The truth: initial viral load counts when it comes to severity of Covid and our immune system being able to adequately respond to it. We now know Covid is airborne, not just spread by droplet. Social distancing does not protect one from an airborne virus nearly as well as it does from a virus only spread via droplet. It *is* also spread by droplet, however, and you can inhale a whole honking load more virus via droplet.
I am not at all surprised that studies showed masking did no good among the general population. People were not properly wearing (”chin diapers” anyone?) or handling masks, and were reusing them. N95 masks were not properly fitted. The sensationalist claims about the size of the virus vs the size of the “holes” in surgical masks were stupid — surgical masks use a variety of methods to trap viruses, including electrostatic, not just mechanical. All that said, no, a mask, even properly fitted and handled will not provide 100% protection from an airborne virus. It will provide some protection (properly handled) against high initial viral load should you be exposed to such.
No wonder people lost confidence in their “governing authorities” and considered them untrustworthy. I had already grown suspicious of them (as many who have had to navigate our healthcare system as an advocate and caregiver for an elderly patient do, but I won’t veer off subject on that).
And it’s no wonder some people adopted “magical talismans” of their own in opposition, like HCQ and ivermectin. The in vitro studies of HCQ being effective against SARS1 were compelling (even though just in vitro) and I’m sure I would have tried it when I got Covid, only I got it so early on, there had yet to be any mention of it. I sat on the fence for over a year re HCQ and ivermectin. The earlier studies showed mixed results. As someone who has followed such studies for years, I knew that meant both were likely ineffective or only marginally effective, but I still held out hope. Both are cheap and easily accessed drugs. I knew proper large-scale studies were being conducted and waited for results from those.
Well, it turned they are not effective on their own. Some insist they work to combat Covid because they are ionsphores of zinc. Well, that makes a lot of sense. We have no well-done large-scale studies of either being administered along with zinc. So it it is quite possible they are helpful when administered along with zinc. But why not just take quercetin + zinc? Quercetin is also an ionosphere of zinc and has lots of other health benefits, and none of the potential drawbacks of HCQ and ivermectin. Plus, you can just order it from Amazon. No need to spend a bunch of $ getting it via those grifters at Frontline Doctors.
When MABs (which really do work like a charm) became available, I lost some interest in HCQ and ivermectin, but still watched and hoped. It was a true scandal that info on how to get MABs was not more readily available. I can’t help wondering how many died because of that. I’m so grateful I knew about it and how to get it right away when my loved ones got the Delta variant.
Agree on the amount of trust one has on the “authority”. I don’t automatically trust *any*. I dive down deep into the nitty gritty of each claim and study. There were “studies” from accepted “authorities” I questioned from the get-go. There were interpretations of studies presented by the likes of Steve Kirsch and Stew Peters that turned out to be laughable lies. (And don’t get me started on math-challenged Naomi Wolf and Kory, etc.). In other words, both sides can lie or be wrong. I question them all. One side being untrustworthy does not at magically mean the other is trustworthy.
Trustworthiness appears to be a fast disappearing thing. :(
Finally, I know I am in a tiny (and much attacked and maligned) minority, a dangerously tiny one, but I don’t think anyone was necessarily stupid to either get or refuse the vaccine. We are each unique individuals, with our own set of health concerns. We mostly make the best decisions we know how at the time, based on what we can know at the time (such is life) and our particular health issues and circumstances. I don’t judge anyone either way for the decision made. (And it really is not my business anyway.)