How Fauci Fooled America

[whatbogsends]

When the pandemic hit, America needed someone to turn to for advice. The media and public naturally looked to Dr. Anthony Fauci—the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, an esteemed laboratory immunologist and one of President Donald Trump's chosen COVID advisers. Unfortunately, Dr. Fauci got major epidemiology and public health questions wrong. Reality and scientific studies have now caught up with him.

Here are the key issues:

Natural immunity. By pushing vaccine mandates, Dr. Fauci ignores naturally acquired immunity among the COVID-recovered, of which there are more than 45 million in the United States. Mounting evidence indicates that natural immunity is stronger and longer lasting than vaccine-induced immunity. In a study from Israel, the vaccinated were 27 times more likely to get symptomatic COVID than the unvaccinated who had recovered from a prior infection.
...
Protecting the elderly. While anyone can get infected, there is more than a thousand-fold difference in mortality risk between the old and the young. After more than 700,000 reported COVID deaths in America, we now know that lockdowns failed to protect high-risk older people. When confronted with the idea of focused protection of the vulnerable, Dr. Fauci admitted he had no idea how to accomplish it, arguing that it would be impossible. That may be understandable for a lab scientist, but public health scientists have presented many concrete suggestions that would have helped, had Fauci and other officials not ignored them.
...
School closures. Schools are major transmission points for influenza, but not for COVID. While children do get infected, their risk for COVID death is minuscule, lower than their already low risk of dying from the flu. Throughout the 2020 spring wave, Sweden kept daycare and schools open for all its 1.8 million children ages 1 to 15, with no masks, testing or social distancing. The result? Zero COVID deaths among children and a COVID risk to teachers lower than the average of other professions. In fall 2020, most European countries followed suit, with similar results. Considering the devastating effects of school closures on children, Dr. Fauci's advocacy for school closures may be the single biggest mistake of his career.
...
Collateral public health damage. A fundamental public health principle is that health is multidimensional; the control of a single infectious disease is not synonymous with health. As an immunologist, Dr. Fauci failed to properly consider and weigh the disastrous effects lockdowns would have on cancer detection and treatment, cardiovascular disease outcomes, diabetes care, childhood vaccination rates, mental health and opioid overdoses, to name a few. Americans will live with—and die from—this collateral damage for many years to come.

In private conversations, most of our scientific colleagues agree with us on these points. While a few have spoken up, why are not more doing so? Well, some tried but failed. Others kept silent when they saw colleagues slandered and smeared in the media or censored by Big Tech. Some are government employees who are barred from contradicting official policy. Many are afraid of losing positions or research grants, aware that Dr. Fauci sits on top of the largest pile of infectious disease research money in the world. Most scientists are not experts on infectious disease outbreaks. Were we, say, oncologists, physicists or botanists, we would probably also have trusted Dr. Fauci.

How Fauci fooled America | Opinion

 

[Bradskii]

When the pandemic hit, America needed someone to turn to for advice. The media and public naturally looked to Dr. Anthony Fauci—the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, an esteemed laboratory immunologist and one of President Donald Trump's chosen COVID advisers. Unfortunately, Dr. Fauci got major epidemiology and public health questions wrong. Reality and scientific studies have now caught up with him.

Here are the key issues:

Natural immunity. By pushing vaccine mandates, Dr. Fauci ignores naturally acquired immunity among the COVID-recovered, of which there are more than 45 million in the United States. Mounting evidence indicates that natural immunity is stronger and longer lasting than vaccine-induced immunity. In a study from Israel, the vaccinated were 27 times more likely to get symptomatic COVID than the unvaccinated who had recovered from a prior infection.
...
Protecting the elderly. While anyone can get infected, there is more than a thousand-fold difference in mortality risk between the old and the young. After more than 700,000 reported COVID deaths in America, we now know that lockdowns failed to protect high-risk older people. When confronted with the idea of focused protection of the vulnerable, Dr. Fauci admitted he had no idea how to accomplish it, arguing that it would be impossible. That may be understandable for a lab scientist, but public health scientists have presented many concrete suggestions that would have helped, had Fauci and other officials not ignored them.
...
School closures. Schools are major transmission points for influenza, but not for COVID. While children do get infected, their risk for COVID death is minuscule, lower than their already low risk of dying from the flu. Throughout the 2020 spring wave, Sweden kept daycare and schools open for all its 1.8 million children ages 1 to 15, with no masks, testing or social distancing. The result? Zero COVID deaths among children and a COVID risk to teachers lower than the average of other professions. In fall 2020, most European countries followed suit, with similar results. Considering the devastating effects of school closures on children, Dr. Fauci's advocacy for school closures may be the single biggest mistake of his career.
...
Collateral public health damage. A fundamental public health principle is that health is multidimensional; the control of a single infectious disease is not synonymous with health. As an immunologist, Dr. Fauci failed to properly consider and weigh the disastrous effects lockdowns would have on cancer detection and treatment, cardiovascular disease outcomes, diabetes care, childhood vaccination rates, mental health and opioid overdoses, to name a few. Americans will live with—and die from—this collateral damage for many years to come.

In private conversations, most of our scientific colleagues agree with us on these points. While a few have spoken up, why are not more doing so? Well, some tried but failed. Others kept silent when they saw colleagues slandered and smeared in the media or censored by Big Tech. Some are government employees who are barred from contradicting official policy. Many are afraid of losing positions or research grants, aware that Dr. Fauci sits on top of the largest pile of infectious disease research money in the world. Most scientists are not experts on infectious disease outbreaks. Were we, say, oncologists, physicists or botanists, we would probably also have trusted Dr. Fauci.

How Fauci fooled America | Opinion

Sounds like a great idea (from the begining of this year). Only close to 800,000 dead so far so hey, less restrictions would have meant...well, certainly not a reduction of that figure. It would be bound to have gone up. So...not really sure of the reason why you'd want to do it.

Let's face it, nobody wants restrictions to the way we live our lives. But down here in Australia we pulled together, accepted what needed to be done and we had a tiny fraction of the deaths that you guys have had. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

Now we're getting back to normal. Daughter is picking us up in an hour and the whole family is meeting at a local pub for the Melbourne Cup (our version of the Kentucky Derby). We're through it. And we did exactly what Kulldorff recommended we shouldn't have done (note the past tense - his ideas about what to do are over a year old). So the place will be packed. We'll be vaccinated as will everyone else there (if you ain't then you can watch us enjoying ourselves through the window).

His ideas wouldn't have worked a year ago. They're irrelevant for most of us now.

 

[Pavel Mosko]

I wonder just how long this guy can stay around? Various media people and politicians have spoken about him lying or telling "noble lies", and how he could have actually been more honest going back to what he said about regular people shouldn't buy masks in early 2020. A week or so ago the story broke about the horrible animal studies on Beagles that he was behind. And before that there were stories that he lied to Congress as far as studies on gain of Function research where he was trying to play some kind of word parsing game. So what more needs to happen? Does he need to be caught in some kind of "Me too" sexual harassment type charge? Or does he just keep on working for the next few years until his age eventually catches up with him and he retires?

 

[sfs]

Various media people and politicians have spoken about him lying or telling "noble lies",

Various media people and politicians have said all kinds of things about all kinds of people. Some of them were true, some weren't. But the truth of the accusations isn't really the point, is it?

how he could have actually been more honest going back to what he said about regular people shouldn't buy masks in early 2020.

The evidence was indeed thin on the subject at the time, but he should have been more transparent.

A week or so ago the story broke about the horrible animal studies on Beagles that he was behind.

That would be one of those things somebody dredged up to make Fauci look bad, no matter how extremely tenuous the connection was with him. What did Fauci have to do with approving that study (assuming it was accurately described, which remains to be seen)? He's not involved in approving funding for individual studies.

And before that there were stories that he lied to Congress as far as studies on gain of Function research where he was trying to play some kind of word parsing game.

Put another way, there were politically motivated stories playing some kind of word parsing game to make it look like he'd lied. Why conservatives have decided to use Fauci as their punching bag is unclear to me. Perhaps it's because he's a genuine, respected expert in infectious disease -- demonization and hatred of expertise in general and a rejection of anything resembling competence when in comes to infectious disease in particular, seem to be the norm for the American right at the moment.

So what more needs to happen? Does he need to be caught in some kind of "Me too" sexual harassment type charge? Or does he just keep on working for the next few years until his age eventually catches up with him and he retires?

Well, yes, maybe he can go on doing his job, serving the public and trying to improve human health, without being taken down by all the vicious stuff being thrown at him or being put off by the death threats. I don't see why that would be a bad outcome.

 

[sfs]

how he could have actually been more honest going back to what he said about regular people shouldn't buy masks in early 2020.

One other thing. If he was lying about masks then, that implies that the truth is that we should all be wearing masks. Somehow I doubt that most of those accusing Fauci of lying believe that to be true.

 

[LeafByNiggle]

Dr. Fauci ignores naturally acquired immunity among the COVID-recovered, of which there are more than 45 million in the United States. Mounting evidence indicates that natural immunity is stronger and longer lasting than vaccine-induced immunity.

Without getting into the debate of whether immunity from infection lasts longer than immunity from vaccines, this quoted statement above is illogical on the face of it. How is it illogical? Because none of this amounts to "fooling America" with regard to vaccines. Vaccines are still vitally necessary, regardless of how good infection-acquired immunity is. If the cost of making 45 million people immune to covid is the death of 746,000 people, then what will it take before the other 275 million people are immune? Just do the math. 746,000 x (275/45) = 4,558,889. So if we rely on infection-acquired immunity (a more accurate term than "natural immunity") to do the job that vaccines could be doing, we just have to tolerate another 4.5 million people dead. That's why relying on so-called "natural immunity" is straight-up kooky dooks.

 

[timothyu]

He's not involved in approving funding for individual studies.

That is his wife's job

Perhaps it's because he's a genuine, respected expert in infectious disease --

His job for 40 years is to control the narrative within the White House. So far so good.

 

[timothyu]

.

 

[RDKirk]

One other thing. If he was lying about masks then, that implies that the truth is that we should all be wearing masks. Somehow I doubt that most of those accusing Fauci of lying believe that to be true.

We all should have been wearing masks from the start. And N-95 masks at that. The only purpose of the shutdown should have been to give American industries time to get licensed and retooled to ramp up mask production so that all American workers would have masks available to work within the contagion just as healthcare workers do.

Fauci is a smart guy, but he's got tunnel vision. He doesn't have a clue to how industry and logistics work. Civilian demand for N-95 masks would never have interfered with the medical supply--those are two totally separate logistical chains. If civilians made a run on every Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and Lowes in the nation, that would not touch the medical supply. They don't come through the same suppliers, they're packaged differently, and they're not even exactly the same product (medical masks come in three sizes, for instance).

If Fauci had said from the beginning, "Everyone needs N-95 masks in order to go back to work for the next 18-24 months before a vaccine is available," that would have stimulated a whole new market. General Motors and several gun manufacturers were already ready and eager to retool to make N-95 masks. They just needed government approval...which the FDA denied because Fauci said it was unnecessary. All kinds of filter makers--all those who make hepa filters today--could have similarly retooled...but Fauci had said it was unnecessary.

 

[RDKirk]

Without getting into the debate of whether immunity from infection lasts longer than immunity from vaccines, this quoted statement above is illogical on the face of it? How is it illogical? Because none of this amounts to "fooling America" with regard to vaccines. Vaccines are still vitally necessary, regardless of how good infection-acquired immunity is. If the cost of making 45 million people immune to covid is the death of 746,000 people, then what will it take before the other 275 million people are immune? Just do the math. 746,000 x (275/45) = 4,558,889. So if we rely on infection-acquired immunity (a more accurate term than "natural immunity") to do the job that vaccines could be doing, we just have to tolerate another 4.5 million people dead. That's why relying on so-called "natural immunity" is straight-up kooky dooks.

The truth is, humanity has never died its way to herd immunity from any disease. Diseases like smallpox simply continued to ravage humanity generation after generation for thousands of years. Herd immunity has only been gained through the use of vaccines.

 

[NxNW]

A week or so ago the story broke about the horrible animal studies on Beagles that he was behind.

He was not involved with any horrible Beagle study. This is a right-wing lie.

 

[Pavel Mosko]

One other thing. If he was lying about masks then, that implies that the truth is that we should all be wearing masks. Somehow I doubt that most of those accusing Fauci of lying believe that to be true.

Well Fauci's position has been based on where he thinks the Socio-politico winds are blowing more than anything you can see this easily when you look at his previous writings like writing about the Spanish Flu in the 2018, the 100th Anniversary, he noted how the Quarantine measurers were not able to keep military people under martial law under lockdown to prevent the spread of the flue and that if that was true with the military and their strict discipline then a lockdown of the civilian populace would be even more doubtful, and then along came Covid and China's lockdowns and his position evolved.


I think the Rising covered Fauci's lieing well a year and a half ago, there were better options on messaging than what Fauci did. Thank God we are beyond the masks because I never got use to them, we can settle in on this being an Endemic just like every other bug going around.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

He was not involved with any horrible Beagle study. This is a right-wing lie.

I had doubts about that being true. Why buy expensive dogs. When you can get strays animals, mice and rats.

 

[public hermit]

I think it would have helped a lot if our President at the time this thing started had united the country instead of trying to shirk his responsibility. Fauci became a focal point because we had no leadership. Our President wanted to play it down instead of getting in front of it. Pitiful. Masks, from the beginning, were played down, which was a lie. They said there were studies that said we didn't need them. In a couple weeks, we already had studies. Come on. If they had been honest from the get go, things would have been different, I think.

 

[Hank77]

He was not involved with any horrible Beagle study. This is a right-wing lie.

It isn't clear what he authorized but ...
PolitiFact - Unpacking the noise around Dr. Anthony Fauci and beagle experiments

 

[Bradskii]

800,000 dead and you guys want to talk about beagles?

The world is crazier than I would have ever imagined.

 

[stevil]

Here are the key issues:

Natural immunity. By pushing vaccine mandates, Dr. Fauci ignores naturally acquired immunity among the COVID-recovered, of which there are more than 45 million in the United States.

It is a fact that people who have already had the virus and recovered, are still better off getting the vaccine than not.

Protecting the elderly. While anyone can get infected, there is more than a thousand-fold difference in mortality risk between the old and the young. After more than 700,000 reported COVID deaths in America, we now know that lockdowns failed to protect high-risk older people.

Americans failed their elderly.
Too many Americans started off denying that Covid was deadly "It's just a flu"
Too many Americans fought against masks and instead caught and spread the disease
Too many Americans are currently fighting against vaccines and are instead catching and spreading the disease.
The failings of USA to combat this disease are not because of Fauci's recommendations for people to wear masks, to isolate, to get vaccinated.
Just utter nonsense.

School closures. Schools are major transmission points for influenza, but not for COVID. While children do get infected, their risk for COVID death is minuscule, lower than their already low risk of dying from the flu. Throughout the 2020 spring wave, Sweden kept daycare and schools open for all its 1.8 million children ages 1 to 15, with no masks, testing or social distancing. The result? Zero COVID deaths among children and a COVID risk to teachers lower than the average of other professions.

More nonsense.
We all know that children are less likely to have adverse affects from the disease. It is not surprising, even when schools are open that kids aren't dying in massive numbers.
The real problem with opening schools during an out of control pandemic is that the kids bring the disease home and their parents and grandparents get ill and some of them die, this all contributes to more rampant spreading in the community and large amounts of death all around.

Sweden has done horribly badly, for a country with a population of just over 10 million they have had over 15,000 Covid deaths. In comparison NZ has had lockdowns, mask restrictions, border restrictions and for a population of just over 5 million we have had 28 deaths.
Sweden's approach has been nonchalant and negligent and the results are abysmal.

Considering the devastating effects of school closures on children, Dr. Fauci's advocacy for school closures may be the single biggest mistake of his career.

As we all know, Fauci is one of many advisers, he represents the scientific crowd.
Fauci has no power to close schools. Closing of schools was made by politicians and governors.
In my view school closures was the correct thing to do, in the middle of an out of control deadly pandemic. Certainly, keeping them open wouldn't in the least help fight this pandemic.

This opinion article and this thread are complete nonsense.

 

[stevil]

800,000 dead and you guys want to talk about beagles?

The world is crazier than I would have ever imagined.

Correction
USA is crazier...

 

[stevil]

Thank God we are beyond the masks because I never got use to them, we can settle in on this being an Endemic just like every other bug going around.

Except several orders of magnitude more deadly.
But at least you don't have the inconvenience of wearing a mask when in public. I really empathise for you on such hardship.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

He was not involved with any horrible Beagle study. This is a right-wing lie.

Even if he was involved, I must have missed when the right wing became the side concerned with animal rights. It’s not like any of these studies only started this year yet the past few weeks is the first I’ve ever heard anyone complain about the mistreatment of animals for medical testing that’s not a left wing peta card carrying member.