Masks Unmasked

No sooner than the impeachment soap opera to besmirch Trump ended, the coronavirus came galloping. Following his victory, Trump was elated, but elated may have become inflated. Trump sued news outlets, rearranged White House personnel, adlibbed at rallies, and thumped his chest over “the greatest economy ever”. One must admire his energy.

But where Democrats failed, the coronavirus is likely to succeed. Trump seemed oblivious to the seriousness of the pandemic. For him, it appeared little more than a variant of the common flu that might be ignored by manly men. He claimed that the executive order to ban flights from China had largely saved the country from the consequences of the coronavirus. He seemed woefully unaware of the continuing threat to life and livelihoods. He failed to exercise leadership at a crucial juncture in the national interest.

In accord with Trump’s know-nothing approach, the incompetent Center for Disease Control (CDC), its spokespersons, and to quote Gerald Celente, its “prestitutes” seemed intent to increase risk to the American public. Although research and clinical studies are available, a chorus of parrots under the baton of the CDC informed the American public that surgical masks were useless or a threat to public health.

Perhaps the CDC did not realize the public might google the National Institute of Health database and scholar.google.com to review the literature. Even a quick perusal of the scientific literature on surgical masks revealed that during the period of the SARS and H1N1 swine flu, surgical masks were highly effective in the reduction of infections in clinical settings. Although surrogate exposure studies validated less leakage for N95 masks, surgical masks were found equally effective in the reduction of infection and absenteeism among medical personnel. On average, in surrogate exposure studies, surgical masks reduced exposure to pathogens from 1.1 to 55 X with an average of 6 X. These results were further validated in meta-analyses of available clinical and research studies. In addition to protection, surgical masks insure that persons who carry the virus do not inadvertently disseminate the virus.

When the science says otherwise, why were Americans discouraged from using surgical masks? The answer may be that inept government is ill-prepared for a pandemic. For example, in one study, the authors concluded the US would require 1.7 to 3.5 billion N95 masks if only 20% to 30% of the population became ill. The current US reserves of surgical masks for medical personnel are only a fraction of that value. Since surgical masks are largely imported from China, and China has its own need for masks, the US is unlikely to add to its reserve in a timely manner. A related question is why is the public not told the truth? I can only speculate that the CDC and Trump administration were caught with their pants down and did not want to own up to their bungling.

The view that the virus is like the common flu and subject to seasonal effects might have played a role in Trump’s bravado. Downplaying the seriousness of the coronavirus threat to the public would be validated if the coronavirus spontaneously diminished since the common flu is less common in the northern hemisphere during the summer. Unfortunately for Trump and team, the available evidence is that pandemics of novel origin, with the exception of H1N1, become full blown in the spring and summer months. They do not diminish during the summer. Then, why was Trump not informed of the scientific literature that suggested a more realistic approach to the threatened pandemic? Again, I can only speculate that he was misinformed by CDC officialdom or has an issue with information that does not fit his narrative. Whatever the reason, he appears a jester or a fool. I am sorry for that, as I am sorry for the American public.