I just read the Disney Blog offering by the doctor (maybe the link is not on this thread). The comments are astounding. There really are few fence sitters when it comes to mask wearing. My sister is firmly in the camp of it’s not effective, so much so that there may not be enough stink eye on the planet to change her mind.
And she’s normally an extreme rules follower.
I suspect anti-mask people might be more vocal, so comments sections might not be representative of park-goers. Well, they usually aren’t anyway, on lots of topics. It’s usually the folks who do feel strongly about something who would spend the time to post.
Yes. Many folks were saying how can you not wear a mask - more or less - and maybe just as many saying please don’t make us wear a mask. With a doctor in both camps. 
Not all doctors know how to critically evaluate literature, and some are led astray by their preconceived ideas just like everyone else. And, since a person can find literature to support almost any view, and since there have so many poor studies (almost nothing has been peer-reviewed at this point) it’s pretty easy to follow the line of thought that one prefers to follow, especially so early in this particular game.
I mean, my opinion is just my opinion. There’s quite a bit no one knows about this virus right now. Consensus is just not there at this point. Generally, that process takes years to accomplish, and even then it can change. As I’ve said before, if I had a nickel for every accepted concept I was taught- from estrogen therapy to cholesterol to back surgery- that was later reversed, I’d be rich- or at least able to buy lunch.
With time there will be more agreement, but you can still find MDs who argue against almost any accepted thought, if you try hard enough. Trial attorneys are able to dig them up as expert witnesses all the time. 
Are the cdc recommendations generally ignored? When I go to their “how to protect yourself” page they recommend: 1. Social distance (avoid close contact) 2. Wash your hands often 3. Cover your mouth and nose (cloth mask) 4. Cover coughs and sneezes 5. Clean and disinfect How to Protect Yourself and Others | CDC
I am really curious that the only debate is the masks. They are right about everything else? Or is it something people don’t want to do?
I just had another thought. Do people think they don’t have to protect themselves? I am truly interested.
I think part of it has to do with the fact that the CDC discouraged masks at the beginning because people were trying to buy up masks, which was making the supply chain a problem for medical workers who actually needed them as part of their job. Even my husband who is an engineer couldn’t find masks for his employees at a wastewater treatment plant.
Of course that’s not to discount the people who are also following some conspiracy theory for why they shouldn’t wear, but I think this is the at least partially legitimate reason people don’t think masks are necessary. Apparently changing directives is not allowed.
I think my issue is that there was a lot, like overwhelming, wrong info regarding how to respond in March/early April.
Absolutely, which I think can be at least be partially understood because this is such a new and unique situation, but I don’t understand why people (the public) aren’t accepting that information has changed as scientists and medical practitioners have learned more.
Very true. Early on, the focus was on touching face/surfaces. But It turns out that’s a MINOR method of transmission. From the start, the focus should have been on having people wear masks. It is probably the NUMBER ONE way to reduce spread. It even reduces contamination on surfaces. The trouble was, they were actually telling people to AVOID using masks so that hospitals could get them, etc. Ironically, this probably led to increased spread and higher infections rates, which increased hospital’s NEED for masks.
Ironically, very early on, I was reading about presumed ways COVID-19 likely would spread based on other coronaviruses, and they said it would be from breathing it in from the air. But then, they changed the story and focus shifted to hand-washing/sanitizing instead.
I think Media is partly to blame in that regard. With all the focus being reported on lack of masks for hospitals, and lack of hand-sanitizer in the stores for everyone else, that’s where everyone collectively went without paying attention to the science. 
People could have been wearing masks very early, being told how to make masks from the start, rather than telling people not to bother wearing masks.
I completely agree. I work in a psychiatric hospital and early on, mid to late March-ish I was a bit outspoken to our administration about the need for staff to start wearing masks. We were told it was not necessary, the state heath dept did not recommend, etc . Of course the real reason was that there was not an adequate supply at that time at our facility or in the community at large. Thankfully that has changed, we now wear masks and so far we have not had any cases. But the mixed messages to the public from early in the pandemic to now have not helped the situation. I wish from the beginning public health officials would have started out saying masks were the best way to go and just admitted the shortage that we all knew existed anyway.
The research showing that people are at their most infectious BEFORE they start showing symptoms was the true game changer on the mask situation. Plus more than expected asymptomatic cases. Usually adherence to “if you feel sick, stay home” minimizes the helpfulness of wearing masks. I really think that significant revelation was unexpected. I appreciate them having the boldness to change the recommendation, knowing they would get skewered for it.
The reason the masks are so controversial is it’s a very obvious, binary measure. No one is really paying attention how often you wash your hands or how often you are disinfecting. Say “practice social distancing if you come into our store” and everyone nods and then complies in varying degrees from precisely to not-at-all. It’s hard to enforce easily. But, if you’re not wearing a mask at all, that’s pretty apparent to everyone.
And those that don’t want to wear one (excusing those with a solid reason), it’s the whole YOLO attitude. They figure it’s their risk to take, and either don’t understand or don’t care about their impact on others and the more widespread situation.
If this is true, it was a huge mistake. Lying to the public should not ever happen- public health revolves around trust.
Perhaps, if people are blowing off the CDC now, it’s because of things like this.
Because this, in fact, is what China did to the entire rest of the world- misled people while they were buying up the PPEs.
Agreed.
I mean, even new symptoms are still coming out (or at least were recently) - and things you’d never associate with a respiratory virus. Loss of appetite? Rashes on toes? I can see how people are confused with all the constant changes.
Not to mention the mixed messages coming from the government (not CDC).
The press specifically asked the surgeon general about the change in guidance at one of the press briefings. He went off on how he resented the implications (the way the question was worded implied lying), and said that they were trying to have the humility to admit their earlier guidance was incorrect based on the new findings, and he very carefully explained the whole situation. I think he was being genuine. But I could be wrong. If someone would like to see it and judge for themselves, let me know and I can probably find the clip.
I don’t view this as lying.
I view it as a recommendation based on what’s best for public health overall…which is that medical workers needed masks more than everyone else (who should have been minimizing time in public anyway).
Whether it was intentional lying, simple prioritizing for who needs the PPE most, or just lack of info about the value of masks for general public, who knows.
Hindsight has four eyes. But what would have been most ideal is that, as soon as they knew about this, told people to make themselves masks and provide instructions how to do so, while at the same time telling people NOT to buy/hoard surgical masks that the hospital staff needed.
In doing so, it would have IMMEDIATELY gotten more and more people wearing masks, reducing spread, and essentially flattening the curve without even having to isolate/quarantine folks.
But that didn’t happen for a variety of reasons. It is hard to really place blame…but rather, merely acknowledge the mistakes that were made in this going forward.
Worse, China actively stopped shipments of PPE destined for US vendors. So US suppliers weren’t getting their products, as the PRC commandeered them.
Also another US screw up added to the problems:
I don’t disagree at all, missed opportunities for sure, but that’s significantly different than lying or intentional deception that breaks trust.
Agreed. I’m always bothered when people start pointing fingers for everything, and jump to the point of things being INTENTIONAL when really everyone has everyone else’s best interest at heart, but came from differing beliefs, positions, information at hand, etc, as if people in these decision-making positions are somehow supposed to be omniscient.