Coronavirus: Top German doctor in hot water over mask comments

German Medical Association president Klaus Reinhardt has been forced to clarify his position on mask-wearing after his claim that there was no “scientific evidence they are actually helpful” sparked an outcry from politicians and doctors.

Reinhardt told a TV talk show on public broadcaster ZDF that he had doubts wearing simple non-medical masks outdoors was effective against the coronavirus. Such face coverings, he said, offered “no protection at all” to those wearing them, and only “very little protection against infecting others.”

A sharp rise in coronavirus cases across Germany in recent weeks has led to stricter rules in many cities, including mask-wearing orders in some crowded streets and pedestrian zones. For the most part, German rules on mask-wearing apply to enclosed spaces like shops and public transport.

The response to Reinhardt’s comments was swift, with one MP even calling for his resignation.

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said Friday he found the remarks “from the highest authority in the medical profession” to be “almost shocking.”

Susanna Johna, chair of the doctors’ union Marburger Bund, said that at a time when it was crucial to give the public clear messages, Reinhardt had created the impression “that everyday masks to protect against infection with coronavirus are of little value.” …

Notice they mention politicians first who had the problem with what the German physician said. And he is RIGHT. Masks are worthless. Masks are just being used by politicians as a control experiment.
If masks did any good at all, doctors and nurses in hospitals would NOT have gotten covid, BUT THEY DID.
It is time to BURN THE MASKS.
Have mask burning parties.
Exercise your freedom!
All masks do is carry disease in the general poopulation.
Health care workers have to change them every time they do a procedure or they may infect others.

Soon, these kinds of statements are going to be labeled as hate speech the way things are going.

The term "mask-denier" (recalling as it does the term "Holocaust-denier") makes it clear that deviation from the established party line will not be tolerated. An accusation of that kind does not allow for discussion - rather, it instantly shuts down debate.

I don't know how things are there in the States, but here in Germany, headlines decrying "Maskenleugner" are not uncommon.

Regards,

“This personal opinion of the president of the German Medical Association contradicts current studies and is likely to discredit the evidence-based approach for minimizing infections that has been in place for months,”

Please show us the studies. I’ve yet to see one that shows the wearing of a poorly fitted and unwashed face covering made from thin layers of cotton fabric reduces the risk of infection when worn in a non controlled environment by the general public.

About the only good thing to come from CRAZY-19 is to observe how a society can be herded into “group think”. Especially with the echo chamber of social media, a biased ‘on message’ MSM.

A lot of the people here are growing resentful of the politics of dealing with what is just a flu that is bad for the very old and sick. Germans are generally nice folks but they do have a limit and I can see a lot of civil unrest / breakdown in blind support for the establishment.

remember (behind paywall):

1 May: WaPo: Technology once used to combat ISIS propaganda is enlisted by Democratic group to counter Trump’s coronavirus messaging
By Isaac Stanley-Becker
A new Democratic-aligned political action committee advised by retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the former head of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, is planning to deploy technology originally developed to counter Islamic State propaganda in service of a domestic political goal — to combat online efforts to promote President Trump’s handling

4 May: The Next Web: Democrats counter Trump’s fake coronavirus news with AI that fought ISIS propaganda
A ‘digital army’ will be mobilized to spread counter-narratives
by Thomas Macaulay
The system has been repurposed to spot comments from Trump that are about to go viral. It will then identify the most popular counter-narratives, and invite a network of more than 3.4 million influencers “to share these highly visual and emotional narratives from real people in unison and at scale.”
The initiative is being led by Defeat Disinfo, a political action committee (PAC) advised by retired general Stanley McChrystal, who commanded US and NATO forces during the Afghanistan war.
...the group plans to pay influencers to amplify the message — a tactic recently used by Mike Bloomberg’s presidential campaign...

McChrystal said such tactics were necessary to limit the effects of “fake news” on the US election.
“Everyone wishes the Pandora’s box was closed and none of this existed, but it does,” he told The Washington Post...
For example, Defeat Disinfo says it used the system to track disinformation that spread as a result of Trump’s endorsement of protests against stay-at-home orders...

“Trump’s expressions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrate how a few words from the President result in real world damage, again and again,” said Defeat Disinfo director Curtis Hougland...
Critics argue that by using a tool initially funded by DARPA, the project is repurposing taxpayer funds for political means, while others worry that the tactics will further damage democracy.
But Defeat Disinfo believes that’s a price worth paying — if it helps get Trump out of the White House.
https://thenextweb.com/neural/2020/05/04/democrats-counter-trumps-fake-coronavirus-news-with-ai-that-fought-isis-propaganda/

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