So, basically, our scientific and medical community tried to find reasons to keep us from wanting masks when they wanted to make sure shortages didn't impact health care workers, then shifted and tried to find reasons we should wear masks when we no longer want to.

In both cases, the scientific and medical community, echoed and expanded by the political community, looked first at the outcome they wanted, and then used any argument, fact, or assumption they could to persuade.

Even if it contradicted previous arguments.

They most assuredly did NOT start with the plain, unadorned facts and draw conclusions.

If the masks helped, they should have said so from the beginning.
It would have put health care workers at risk via supply shortages.
But it would have been an honest statement.

I expect our political community to make political decisions

I expect our scientific and medical communities to stay out of political decisions.

Please note, however, that not only did they make political decisions about *masks*, it was based on another political decision to value the lives and health of health care workers over normal citizens.

That's not an invalid decision.
You have to have health-care professionals to be available to deal with an epidemic.
Prioritizing the life and health of health care workers quite likely can prevent tens of thousands of deaths.

But it is STILL a political decision.

That decision should have been made by the politicians we elect, NOT by the scientific and medical communities.

The more I think about this, the more worried and upset I become.

If we didn't already have sufficient evidence, this proves our scientific and medical communities are fully politicized.

I welcome any and all thoughts about how we can de-politicize institutions that should not be political.

Because as it stands, research is already completely controlled by politics, ruining science.
And decisions about your life and health are already politicized.
It is a very short step from there to concluding Cuomo actually had political reasons to encourage nursing home deaths.

The decision of your treatments should be decided by you and family members, in consultation with your doctor, based on what you are willing and able to pay.

We are far from that right now.

It's distressing.

finis