Dr. Trump Corrects CDC Director
[guest post by Dana]
The director of the CDC said today that, if one does not get immunity from the vaccine, wearing a face mask will provide protection:
Face coverings are “the most powerful public health tool” the nation has against the coronavirus and might even provide better protection against it than a vaccine, the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told lawmakers Wednesday.
“We have clear scientific evidence they work, and they are our best defense,” CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said. “I might even go so far as to say that this face mask is more guaranteed to protect me against Covid than when I take a Covid vaccine.”
Redfield told the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies that a potential coronavirus vaccine, which will likely be available in limited quantities by the end of this year, may only have an immunogenicity of 70%.
…
“If I don’t get an immune response, the vaccine’s not going to protect me. This face mask will,” Redfield told lawmakers while holding up a blue surgical face mask. He urged Americans, particularly those between 18 and 25 years old, to continue wearing face coverings, reiterating they could help bring the pandemic under control in a matter of weeks if people wore them universally.
Renowned infectious disease expert and virologist Dr. Donald J. Trump was compelled to correct the director:
At a White House press briefing later on Wednesday, the president said Redfield might have “misunderstood” the question by lawmakers, adding that masks are not as important as the vaccine. Trump said “perhaps” face masks help.
“I hope that the vaccine’s going to be a lot more beneficial than the masks,” Trump told reporters. “As far as the mask is concerned, he made a mistake.”
Though certainly not at the top of the list, among my reasons for wanting to see the pandemic end asap, is that arguments about the efficacy of masks will cease. Yet, more importantly, we will no longer have to hear Dr. Trump stupidly opine about masks and their lack of effectiveness.
–Dana
Is there nothing Trump doesn’t know more about than any other human being??
Dana (292df6) — 9/16/2020 @ 4:26 pmHaven’t you herd? His mentality is the best.
lurker (d8c5bc) — 9/16/2020 @ 5:10 pmTrump blames blue states for the coronavirus death toll — but most recent deaths have been in red states
For months, President Trump has been scrambling to deflect criticism for the breadth of the coronavirus pandemic toward whatever target might be available. During a news briefing Wednesday, he returned to one of his favorites: Democratic leaders.
……
“This was a prediction that if we do a really good job, we’ll be at about 100,000 and — 100,000 to 240,000 deaths, and we’re below that substantially, and we’ll see what comes out,” he said. ….
For what it’s worth, we are not below 240,000 deaths substantially. Instead, the country has seen at least 193,000 deaths, a figure that is probably an underestimation. For example, there have been 263,000 more deaths in the United States in 2020 than would have been expected based on the past several years. If those are attributable to the novel coronavirus, we’ve already moved out of good-job territory.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 9/16/2020 @ 5:32 pm…..
“So we’re down in this territory,” Trump continued, “and that’s despite the fact that the blue states had had tremendous death rates. If you take the blue states out, we’re at a level that I don’t think anybody in the world would be at. We’re really at a very low level. But some of the states, they were blue states and blue state-managed.”
…..
Over time, though, the percentage of total deaths that have occurred in blue states has dropped. The most recent data, through Tuesday, indicates that about 53 percent of deaths have occurred in blue states — meaning that 47 percent have occurred in red ones.
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Why has the ratio of blue-state to red-state deaths shifted? Because most of the newly occurring deaths are happening in red states. Since mid-June, a majority of the new coronavirus deaths each day have occurred in red states. Since mid-July at least 70 percent have.
……
Don’t worry, I’m sure he’s just trying not to panic us.
Nic (896fdf) — 9/16/2020 @ 5:44 pmTrump will never understand face masks as they only protect other people, and what’s the point of that?
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 9/16/2020 @ 5:50 pmIs there nothing Trump doesn’t know more about than any other human being??
Epistemology?
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 9/16/2020 @ 5:54 pmHe’s got solipsism down pat.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 9/16/2020 @ 5:54 pmThanksgiving is coming up. Someone should talk him into a National Live Turkey Drop.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 9/16/2020 @ 5:56 pmHe can play the bullseye in the frozen turkey round.
Colonel Klink (Ret) (305827) — 9/16/2020 @ 6:09 pm“I might even go so far as to say that this face mask is more guaranteed to protect me against Covid than when I take a Covid vaccine.”
1. Hypothetical: Once a vaccine is available, you can choose between being on a flight where everyone else is vaccinated or everyone else has a mask on. Pick one.
2. If masks are better, then that would apply to the flu as well. (Or, why not?) Except the CDC hasn’t been saying that.
beer ‘n pretzels (27da31) — 9/16/2020 @ 6:32 pmDeja vu?
https://www.firstthings.com/article/2020/10/suicide-of-the-liberals
Bolivar di griz (7404b5) — 9/16/2020 @ 6:34 pmif masks are really better than a vaccine why in the @#&$# are we still locked down?
What are the rules for getting back to normal?
kaf (0ff60d) — 9/16/2020 @ 6:35 pm1. Masks, for sure.
2. I think flu vaccines are much more reliable at generating immunity than the first CV vaccines are expected to be. I don’t think the incidence of asymptomatic infection for the flu compares to CV either. Even so. in east Asia it’s considered polite, and routine, to wear a mask if you might have the flu or a cold.
Dave (1bb933) — 9/16/2020 @ 6:40 pmIf President Galaxy Brain keeps killing off his followers, all the states will be blue states. When you take the blue states out then, his COVID numbers are going to look amazing.
lurker (d8c5bc) — 9/16/2020 @ 6:43 pmWent for a Covid test today. Nasal swab. Drive through. Free. Provided by the State of Illinois. At a formerly car emissions test site where I used to take my cars. Whole thing from “Enter” to “Exit” took maybe five minutes. Which is when I wore my mask too.
Truck your President Fump. Emphasis on “your“. He might be your President where you’re at, but he’s nothing here. Our Governor and our mayors are running things.
nk (1d9030) — 9/16/2020 @ 6:43 pmi hope you test positively toward negative mr nk
Dave (1bb933) — 9/16/2020 @ 6:54 pmThank you very much, Mr. Dave.
nk (1d9030) — 9/16/2020 @ 6:59 pmSo, all these years when we’ve been told to get a flu vaccine, what with the possible side effects and the hit or miss nature of the strain, and we should have been wearing masks because they are more effective than vaccines? Do we have new experts that just figured this out or is this the same group of clowns that a couple of months ago were telling everyone masks weren’t effective.
frosty (f27e97) — 9/16/2020 @ 7:44 pmNo he said it was better than a vaccine, and he didn’t say might
That actually might be somewhat true, as someone might get a mild case of the disease which would amount to a vaccination.
https://www.reddit.com/r/CoronavirusUS/comments/irzwcx/face_masks_could_be_giving_people_covid19 (immunity
https://mashupmd.com/a-new-theory-asks-could-a-mask-be-a-crude-vaccine-23
https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200909/could-your-mask-be-a-kind-of-vaccine-against-covid-19#1
I said it here first. You couuld look it up, although that;s abut difficult.
Sammy Finkelman (96f386) — 9/16/2020 @ 7:54 pmThat doesn’t say much for vaccines.
I think his idea is that a vaccine may be only 50% to 90% effective but a mask will prevent it better. Easy to say when he knows no one will ever demand a clinical study before anyone can legally promote masks.
But why not? Isn’t a face mask here a medical device? Already legal, yes, but off label.
Sammy Finkelman (96f386) — 9/16/2020 @ 8:00 pmYes, yes, attenuated virus vaccines are truly a revolutionary concept in immunology. (That was sarcasm.)
nk (1d9030) — 9/16/2020 @ 8:01 pm@8. It’s been done. Tune-in to WKRP in Cincinnati for details.
Trump doesn’t plagiarize.
“As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.” – Arthur Carlson [Gordon Jump] ‘Turkeys Away’ aired 10/30/1978 – “WKRP In Cincinnati” CBS TV 1978-1982
DCSCA (797bc0) — 9/16/2020 @ 8:06 pmVaccines are much more well establishec scoence now were in the argument clinic. (No we arent)
Bolivar di griz (7404b5) — 9/16/2020 @ 8:11 pmTrump doesn’t plagiarize.
1. Well, sure, you can’t plagiarize something you haven’t read.
2. That’s Melania’s job.
3. He just creates alternative facts.
4. Says who?
nk (1d9030) — 9/16/2020 @ 8:13 pmTrump is only avoiding absurdity, and echoing all the advice he’s been getting.
Trump’s being kind here.
That’s not a mistake, it’s a lie.
Unless he either believes masks are 95% effective (and what study anywhere proved that? *) or any vaccine will probably not immunize a significant fraction of people.
Sammy Finkelman (96f386) — 9/16/2020 @ 8:14 pm————–
Chinese Communist propaganda doesn’t count. And they didn’t even pretend to have studies proving that it prevented anything.
nk (1d9030) — 9/16/2020 @ 6:43 pm
Holy flaming balls Batman. This is a new concept we’ve never heard before. Quick name it and you’ll be famous. I suggest something with an ism but short and catchy.
frosty (f27e97) — 9/16/2020 @ 8:15 pmThis is the same CDC that told the coronavirus task force back in February (probably before Mike Pence was appointed to lead it and before he brought in Deborah Birx) that they could keep Covid-19 from becoming endemic in the United States:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/transcript-scott-gottlieb-discusses-coronavirus-on-face-the-nation-september-13-2020
Sammy Finkelman (96f386) — 9/16/2020 @ 8:21 pmSo, if masks are better than a vaccine, does that mean we have to wear masks even after a vaccine is available to everyone? Count me out.
norcal (a5428a) — 9/16/2020 @ 8:22 pm26. Federalism.
Sammy Finkelman (96f386) — 9/16/2020 @ 8:22 pmIt goes beyond federalism. Governor Pritzker made sure we had test supplies (and PPE), whether Jared Kushner doled out some of “his” (remember that?) or not. In the Governor’s own words (more or less): “I’d welcome any help from the federal government, but I don’t really expect any.”
nk (1d9030) — 9/16/2020 @ 8:26 pm28, norcal (a5428a) — 9/16/2020 @ 8:22 pm
They’re coming close to saying that. Until maybe a second generation vaccine.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/15/magazine/i-got-a-trial-covid-19-vaccine-do-i-still-have-to-wear-a-mask.html
Sammy Finkelman (96f386) — 9/16/2020 @ 8:33 pm15. nk (1d9030) — 9/16/2020 @ 6:43 pm
A test is not complete until you get the results. And if t get the results takes as long as to get election results in 2020 what you should get is an antibody test which will tell you if you had it anytime from several months ago to two weeks ago or so.
And why are they still doing nasal swabs? They should do saliva tests, like professional sports does, or other tests with almost instant results. The saliva test doesn’t pick up on minor infections, but infections that low grade are almost entirely not contagious.
Sammy Finkelman (96f386) — 9/16/2020 @ 8:41 pmThe Flu season in the southern hemisphere starts in May or June. So far this year it’s been very mild. That could be because it’s just a mile flu seasons, or it could be the the measures put in place for CV19 have been helping to reduce the spread of the flu.
I think this is another data point that the masks and social distancing we’ve been talking about are effective in reducing the spread of air born disease.
Time123 (7cca75) — 9/17/2020 @ 5:52 amgives as an example
federalism
frosty (f27e97) — 9/17/2020 @ 7:29 am12. kaf (0ff60d) — 9/16/2020 @ 6:35 pm
Who said anything about getting back to normal?
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/15/opinion/coronavirus-precautions.html
NYT says:
REDDIT AMAAaron E. Carroll will be answering your questions on living with the pandemic at 12 p.m. Eastern on Thursday on Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/coronavirus
Sammy Finkelman (fe9fb2) — 9/17/2020 @ 7:31 amFederalism implies some federal relevance. In this instance, Trump might as well not exist at all.
nk (1d9030) — 9/17/2020 @ 7:40 amBy contrast, Wall Street Journal Op-ed:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-live-with-covid-not-for-it-11600271921
Sammy Finkelman (b1f8c4) — 9/17/2020 @ 7:52 am26. nk (1d9030) — 9/17/2020 @ 7:40 am
The most important federal role here is collecting and promoting scientific research, or, as the case may be, blocking medical progress. Which it does a great deal of.
It also nowadays supplies money and equipment and tries to compensate (when not caught up in partisan deadlock) with the economic effects of the measures taken to deal with the virus.
It also can regulate foreign commerce and travel.
Sammy Finkelman (b1f8c4) — 9/17/2020 @ 7:56 am