Having worked for USAID and the WHO on their tuberculosis campaigns I agree that PPEs can help to slow the spread BUT I disagree that cloth masks worn when the heat index explodes in the summer are effective due to the increase in body temperature, higher risk of heat exhaustion, and lowering of the immune system. I would be more on board with it as a "pro" in winter. There are 11 independent studies about the efficacy of masks for virus-related prevention, most of them don't support that these work effectively enough to have more than a psychological/placebo effect on the wearer.

Coronaviruses have a distinct etiology and it is best served by soap and water, staying home when you feel ill and if YOU have comorbidity wear a mask.

US Aid workers are given PPE equipment when there is a high risk of infection. We are also quarrantined when we have been in a hot zone. If the US were actually serious about the "super deadly" nature of this they would buy PPEs, distribute them, and provide at home care for those who are at risk. We haven't done any of this.

What has happened is that we started another media assault on anyone who questions the efficacy of our approach to this outbreak and have given certain elements "get out of jail free" passes to congregate based on what cause we believe is most necessary to support our infecting each other with this "super deadly" virus.

IF they truly believed that this was a virus that would kill a large percentage of those who come into contact with this like say TB, ebola, and SARS then our approach would be to shut down large protests, force everyone even black people to wear a mask, provide medical masks to the general public, and do more of an educational campaign that explains why this --in our opinion--is more deadly than the flu.

It is the mixed messages we send that most often gets the pushback. You cannot tell the public it is worse than Godzilla but say it's still okay for a million people to march without masks all around the country because THOSE civil liberties are more important than those guaranteed by the 14 Amendment's cover of medical right to privacy.

Public health campaigns have to be authoritative and cannot be "trust me". That is exactly what caused the AIDS crisis of the 80s. When the CDC was asked definitively if it was transmitted by sex they were hesitant to do so lest they cause even more scorn to be heaped upon a marginalized group by the public.

IF this is as serious as they would like the public to believe then their actions must be consistent. No protests, no schools, no public transit, and no exceptions. They would hand out the PROPER equipment. Again they have not done this. This is a public health crisis of their own making.

I assume vIsiting Dr Larry Nassar must have been pretty emotional