Is Another Pandemic On The Horizon? 6 Mistakes We Won't Be Repeating This Time Around
The last few years feel like a bit of a blur as we’ve emerged from a bizarre social climate post-Rona, but one thing is as clear as day: Some leaders used Covid-19 as an opportunity to undermine checks and balances and usurp power, and some people were just too willing to accept the loss of their freedoms. Will we be doomed to repeat this cycle? Absolutely not, if we refuse to forget the past.
At the onset of a crisis, people are understandably flustered, directionless, confused, and scared. The outbreak of Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdowns were no exception to this rule. Lockdown advocates told us all that there was simply no time to worry about the details – we had to shelter in place quickly as though we were evading nuclear fallout, or else we risked killing grandma. Unless we had the wealth and resources to avoid lockdowns, of course! But even public health officials who had our best interests in mind (as well as the segment of those who definitely didn’t) coerced us into long, drawn-out lockdowns and made many numb to the concept of central planning.
Though we had all been taught from a young age to stay home when we’re feeling sick (voluntary social distancing) or cover our coughs or sneezes when around others (voluntary covering of your face), the government and prestige media circulated narratives around the transmission of sickness that resulted in a confiscation of normalcy and, in many cases, our livelihoods.
A few months ago, the White House announced that the national state of emergency brought on by Covid-19 would finally end. If that’s the case, why is it that they’re still enforcing face masks and social distancing mandates for unvaccinated guests at government events?
Some believe another public health crisis could be on the horizon after the chief of WHO stated, "When the next pandemic comes knocking – and it will – we must be ready to answer decisively, collectively, and equitably,” according to the United Nations. Tedros is warning of "another pathogen emerging with even deadlier potential". And even if that alone doesn't spook you, others believe that now that the ruling class has found their framework for control, some other hysteria could be manufactured, whether that’s the threat of war or cultural panic that leads to riots in the streets.
No matter what the case is, we’ve learned a lot of lessons from the reaction to Covid-19, and if we know what’s good for us, we’re not going to blindly allow history to repeat itself.
1. Masks Likely Caused More Harm Than They Did Good
Prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, you’d be hard-pressed to find people out and about in public wearing surgical face masks. Perhaps if you lived in or often traveled to Asia – where it’s culturally more common to wear face coverings out of courtesy if you’re feeling unwell, to give a sense of protection from environmental pollutants, or even as a fashion statement – you may have come across people masking up, but it was arguably less common to see such a thing in Western nations.
Still, face masks, scarves, cloths, and a variety of different facial coverings have been used in medical settings for centuries now, but their efficacy has long been debated. Infectious diseases are no joke, and while we should be cognizant of how our germs can and do spread, we should separate proof from placebo. There are settings and situations where facial coverings would be a smart choice, since they can filter out a degree of large and small particles. If you’re genuinely a frontline healthcare worker dealing with serious disease, you or a family member is high risk or if, perhaps, there’s a serious wildfire or dust storm near you, then there’s no judgment here if you want to mask up.
We learned from Covid-19, however, that mask mandates were, more often than not, ineffective. A meta-analysis reviewing randomized trials to determine the effectiveness that large-scale masking efforts had to “stop the spread” found “little to no” evidence that surgical masks offered protection in the general population. Furthermore, the researchers found that even N95 respirator masks were lacking in providing extra protection to healthcare workers. In an interview, lead author on the study, Tom Jefferson, said that “there is just no evidence” that masks “make any difference.”
Another bit of bombshell research recently came from an Oxford University epidemiologist who found that mask mandates really didn’t do much to protect people from Covid-19 or slow the spread of the virus. Yet, good ol’ Dr. Anthony Fauci fed us wishy-washy guidance on masks from the start!