After a year there is zero evidence government edicts slowed the spread of COVID-19
It never was about the virus: After a year of job-destroying lockdowns and the inhuman muzzling of every citizen in a panicked effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, a careful review of the data continues to show what was obvious as early as September 2020: Those authoritarian government edicts did nothing to stop or even slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The article at the link first compares Florida (where the government edicts were few) and California (which was turned into a fascist state by the edicts of its Democratic Party governor) and found that after a year, Florida was actually impacted less by the virus.
In light of everything our officials have taught us about how this virus spreads, it defies reality that Florida, a fully open and popular travel destination with one of the oldest populations in the country, currently has lower hospitalizations and deaths per million than California, a state with much heavier restrictions and one of the youngest populations in the country. While it is true that, overall, California does slightly better than Florida in deaths per million, simply accounting for California’s much younger population tips the scales in Florida’s favor.
Florida has zero restrictions on bars, breweries, indoor dining, gyms, places of worship, gathering sizes, and almost all schools are offering in-person instruction. California, on the other hand, retains heavy restrictions in each of these areas. At the very least, Florida’s hospitalizations and deaths per million should be substantially worse than California’s. Those who predicted death and destruction as a consequence of Florida’s September reopening simply cannot see these results as anything other than utterly remarkable. Even White House covid advisor Andy Slavitt, much to the establishment’s embarrassment, had no explanation for Florida’s success relative to California. Slavitt was reduced to parroting establishment talking points after admitting that Florida’s surprisingly great numbers were “just a little beyond our explanation.”
The article then goes on to look at national trends, and finds similar results. Overall there is absolute no correlation between harsh restrictions and fewer COVID deaths or hospitalizations. Instead, the biggest factor appears to be local climate.
Similar case patterns across fifty states is hardly an indicator of a government capable of influencing the course of the virus. Instead, research published in Evolutionary Bioinformatics shows that case counts and mortality rates are strongly correlated with temperature and latitude, a concept known as “seasonality,” which, once recognized, largely explains the failure of the past year’s [governmental edicts and restrictions]s.
Meanwhile, we can look at seasonally congruent regions to see whether or not varying degrees of behavioral mandates have had any noticeable impact on cases. What we find, thanks to seasonality, is that regardless of the timing or existence of mask mandates and other behavioral mandates, similar regions follow similar case growth patterns. [emphasis mine]
All these conclusions are entirely consistent with earlier studies, all of which found that the draconian and unprecedented measures imposed by governments during this epidemic were all worthless in slowing the virus, but quite successful in ruining numerous lives and destroying the world’s economy, while in the U.S. serving to effectively nullify the rights accorded all citizens under the Constitution.
The worst part of this whole sad story is not that our leaders are corrupt power-hungry fools who gladly abused their power, but that the majority of Americans bowed meekly to that abuse.
We get the government we deserve. Based on events in the last year we are getting it now, good and hard.
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In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
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The pattern repeats: elected leaders dare not oppose unelected “experts”, who derive their power from the media’s dominion over the most gullible, not from the majority.
Either we clear every Democrat out of Congress who voted to impeach the President based on falsehoods, and the do the same in every statehouse, or we might as well stay home on Election Day. We must take up the reins now, or accept that we will be forced to take up arms later.
But if it saved just one child it was well worth it.
Safford AZ is getting a lot of business from our (NM) area because businesses do not enforce the mask requirement. That is, all except Harbor Freight who enforce.
It was about having a crisis to exploit. Couldn’t have gotten vote-by-mail enacted without it. And that opened a new venue for cheating. And that got a preferred candidate elected. Never let a crisis go to waste. And if you don’t have one, make one up.
Pzatchok … the inability of my sarcasm detector to rate your comment prevents me from either denouncing or endorsing it.
That said, it does make me nearly certain that you were unaffected in any significant way by said edicts.
My answer to hearing the utterances of certain Governor(s) in oppressing the citizens of their state(s) is always “God Bless Gov. Ron DeSantis!”
I have never seen a report that analyzes where and how people became infected with covid. I know we are critical of lockdown measures, but I do not see anecdotal evidence that people are becoming infected in masked settings. Like the supermarket, office work place. Those who work in the supermarket tell me they have not been infected. The post office is down stairs from me and no one has been infected there. An office I go to from time to time has 20 people there every day. No infections there. This is suburban NJ.
Point being that masks might work, in that people who work in mask settings are not getting infected.
Have you ever seen Tucker Carlson not speak a word when his guest is talking non-stop for the entire session? He was captivated as much as you would be if you have not seen this dire warning of what the pandemic was really about.
https://theblogginghounds.com/2021/02/24/were-really-moving-into-a-coup-situation-a-police-state-situation-ex-bill-clinton-advisor-and-author-naomi-wolf-warns-of-totalitarian-state-under-biden-video/
I think North Dakota just baned mask mandates. Freedom is making a resurgence as the man behind the curtain is exposed. I pray it’s not too late. All that is needed now is a violent event to use as an excuse for permanent emergency powers and the elimination of the constitutional rights/ rule of law.
Remember, we only have eight years left to destroy the world to save it… And the children, we can’t forget the children… Sarcasm
Oh the consequences of the lockdown! The ripples of this monster’s work are legion and will persist for as long as liberal politicians can cloak their untruth in the fabrication that assaults on human liberty are for human safety. Remember, such politicans claim to “care,” but their actions betray such platitude: they care most for votes. However, for those citizens not wanting a mother hen government, they must find a way to get out of the hen house or retake the house and put mother hen in a chicken coop.
J. Randolph
My company has manufacturing facilities all over the US.
We have found that our plants are having covid rates at exactly the same rate as the county they are in.
And we are doing twice daily temp checks and giving anyone with a high temp a week off paid and free testing.
We also have a 100% mask policy and now even have proximity beepers on us at all times to remind us to stay 6 feet apart.
Hand sanitizers at every door and the place is disinfected every weekend.
Plus we work in a “clean” environment. Suited up.
People are getting it at home.
The lock downs have only slowed the heard immunity point.
RZ: “…unprecedented measures imposed by governments during this epidemic were ALL WORTHLESS in slowing the virus…”
Similarily in a previous post:
“NOTHING done by any government ANYWHERE in the world has stopped the virus from spreading, whether it be lockdowns, masks, or quarantines.”–RZ
This is simply factually not true, and should be retracted. See New Zealand, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan.(others?)
But it does seem to be true in most societies, and certainly in the U.S..
And I do agree with the general sentiment of the post. The number of people in the U.S. mortally threatened (ie needing hospitalization) of covid is about 3 in 1000 per year. The number of covid-19 induced deaths is about half of that…hardly an existential crisis warranting the egregious devastation of an economy, personal finances, private businesses, education, and the social health and happiness of entire societies.
I have begun to get visits by the “NYC Covid Inspector”.
Two visits, two very nice men. One told me straight out, “The city is going to be looking for money so make sure you have all that you need or you will be getting a citation: Like, a Covid safety plan, a thermometer, employee temperature record, hand sanitizer, sanitizer in the bathroom with paper towels.
I just filled out the 6 page NYV Covid safety plan:
https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/NYS_BusinessReopeningSafetyPlanTemplate.pdf
Seems to me to have been written by a lawyer rather than a health department official. Im sure it can only get worse but no issues at the moment.