#FollowTheScience on COVID and not needing masks

Just as I have, even pre-COVID, called out the number of Greens (more than purely stereotypical) who are antivaxxer for not following the science on vaccines while telling duopolists they should follow the science on climate change, and was grudging in my support of Jill Stein in her second presidential run in 2016 ...

So do I call out The People's CDC and fellow travelers for not following the science on COVID and masking. I called them out a second time weeks later for lacking — and refusing to adopt — any nuance on this issue. That's especially true with not only President Biden ending the COVID state of emergency here in the US, but even mask-notorious Japan having its prime minister having done the equivalent three months ago.

First, per Worldometers, we're down to 200 deaths a week in the US. That's 10K a year, half of what the "just the flu" kills in a mild flu season of six months or less and one-quarter of a severe flu season.

Second, per a People's CDC or fellow traveler type on Twitter who repeatedly refused to follow the science? COVID case counts are also down. Worldometers has a nice beautiful line graph for daily cases as well as daily deaths. All of its lines continue to flatten in a convergent sequence that will never hit zero but will likely continue to get closer and closer.

Ergo, we don't need masks. Said Tweeter said:

So we should be masking at least during flu season, too. Good job proving my argument. (Japan already does this because they actually care about people around them, unlike you.)

— Eudevie (@Aquilachan) June 16, 2023

After I first called them out on COVID now being 2-4X LESS deadly than just the flu, they pulled out Japan, to which I noted the above, that Japan also does not have a state of emergency, does not REQUIRE masks, that fewer people are wearing them, and that mask wearing rates are declining there, including because 40 percent of the Japanese population cited peer pressure to wear the masks. Per that link, Japan's government is even only giving mask "recommendations" for riding mass transit.

When they still refused to follow the science?

Eventually I replied:

And, per my last two responses, let's get to the point:

"So we should be masking at least during flu season, too."

This could be seen, and I infer it as, an implied call for mask mandates. You're invited to a clear "yes" or "no" on supporting or opposing mandates.

— TheRealSocraticGadfly (@real_gadfly) June 16, 2023

And, have not heard back, ergo, per the old proverb, silence gives assent to the idea they support mask mandates.

Jeff St. Clair at Counterpunch should know better, but on last Friday's Roaming Charges decided to stick his oar in as well:

In an attempt to rationalize their premature termination of Covid protocols, the Biden administration is resorting to victim blaming. Here’s HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra last week: “If you’re dying of Covid today, you didn’t take precautions.”

But, it IS true, Jeff. We don't have mask mandates for "just the flu" because some people are immunocompromised, and we shouldn't for COVID, either. Becerra perhaps could have worked to sound less callous, but the facts he states ARE the facts. And, if you're being like Pat the Berner to just do a hit job on Biden? As I told him and others on a blogging callout, you know there's many other things to take on Biden about. "Own the neoliberals" on COVID? C'mon.

Keep it up, and I might start calling you folks COVIDIOTS lite or something.