I heard this on the radio while on the stepper earlier. My initial reaction was to shout 'bullshit' so loud that they probably heard me several streets away. Thread based on this, and if you don't like, then gladly unfollow me. /1 https://twitter.com/Independent/status/1249673804827279360

We humans are social animals. We're hard-wired to want to be with people (for the most part), in close proximity; we're tactile, we want to pick up the non-verbal cues from people's expressions. If we're to wear masks for years to come, so too will social distancing and from /2

that agoraphobia. It's evident the WHO wants to control the population to remove all risk of death, rather like the HSE in regulating the railways by pushing costs up so that it drove customers to more dangerous modes of transport, such as roads. The WHO has to take a holistic /3

approach to this, but it won't. It's fixated on minimising or eliminating the spread of #COVIDー19 without realising that the genie is out of the bottle. More than that, the wearing of masks implies we mustn't develop herd immunity towards it, and more than that towards /4

anything else in the wild. Our immune systems need constant challenges to remain effective. Hence why dirtier children of decades past (and especially those who live on farms) are healthier. From the exposure. https://www.childinthecity.org/2018/05/08/city-children-more-likely-to-have-mental-health-problems-than-rural-kids-says-ulm-university-draft/ /5

We need dirt. We need viruses and bacteria. This 'new norm' of wearing masks risks our immune system's resilience and ability to cope with mutations of and mergers from #COVIDー19. The psychological effect will also make us more paranoid of each other, of greeting each other /6

in a human way. What's the point of wearing a mask if you then want to shake someone's hand, guide them by the elbow, put your arm round their shoulders, hug them in a bar. All this is adapted human behaviour over hundreds of years. It's what makes us human. It's what forms /7

friendships, kinships, and relationships. That gentle brush on the arm in a bar is how lovers meet, and from that children, or at least just the enjoyment of making love. How can we tell the expression on someone's face in a bar, pub, or party if everyone's wearing a mask? /8

But then, what's the point of going to a bar, pub, or party if we're made to feel paranoid about catching 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. Guess what, we all transmit mostly asymptomatic illness from one to another. Even during this social distancing period, it still takes place. /9

It's unavoidable. The only way to absolutely stop the spread of #COVIDー19 is for the 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 population to remain indoors for weeks or months. That means all NHS staff, care home workers, police, all farmers, growers, food producers, drivers, supermarket staff. /10

The entire economy at a halt, the entire population indoors, no police, healthcare, and probably only the army allowed outdoors. OK, we'll probably starve to death, but that's the extreme position of beating #COVIDー19 "at all costs". It can't be beaten. We must adapt to it /11

and accept it's out there, and likely will mutate and merge. The WHO thinks the spread must be reduced or eliminated, but at what cost? Even ignoring the fact that masks likely make matters worse (entrapment), they've ignored the psychological cost of implementing it. /12

As I've said, we're social animals. How are the performing arts supposed to be able to cope wearing masks? Woodwind and brass players? Vocalists? Choirs? Do we abandon art, culture, entertainment, and the joy of live music because we're so paranoid about /13

catching 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨? Same applies to crowded sporting events. Those gatherings on the Mall to celebrate a Royal occasion, fan zones at rugby and football matches. It's what makes us human. Campanology, male voice choirs, bowling, archery, worship. These things evolved /14

because we want to be together. We want to socialise. We want to see each orhers' expressions, the curl of their lip, laugh at their crooked teeth, or admire their teeth if they're a fine example. I like women who wear bright red gloss lipstick. /15

What's the point in any of us dressing up, showing ourselves off, grooming to look good for the opposite or same sex if we hide ourselves either out of paranoia or compulsion. What life is that? It isn't. It's merely existing. I don't want to live in a society where we merely /16

exist in order to possibly extend our lives (and even that is debatable). We need the freedom to live, to experience, to see each others' faces, to play poker, to strike deals based on reading facial expressions. That is living. The alternative is just a paranoid existence. /17

Life is transitory. We all die. Over 600,000 die every year in the UK. And that's with a lived life. The WHO wants to eliminate all risks - even if that was achievable - from #COVIDー19 but at what cost?
Are you listening Mr Cummings?
@samvaknin /18