Fear and Loathing in Covid America: Public panic and media scorn are shutting down important debates about how to tackle the virus

By Joseph A. Ladapo. Dr. Ladapo is an associate professor at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. Excerpts:

"the 2,400 new cases Los Angeles County averaged daily over the past week show that masks aren’t the cure-all the media often presents them as.

If the counterargument is that those in Los Angeles aren’t wearing masks while walking down the street or at the beach, consider that indoor—not outdoor—transmission is the driver of the pandemic. One contact tracing study in China involving 318 outbreaks and 1,245 cases of Covid-19 identified only a single incident of outdoor transmission. This basic evidence didn’t stop District of Columbia officials from threatening $1,000 fines on people not wearing masks outdoors. Policies like this are about politicians flexing power and looking tough; they are not about public health."

"data from multiple countries that show children are the least likely to be harmed by the virus. Concerns about transmission from students to teachers, parents and vulnerable family members are valid. But the toxic political environment has choked off any earnest discussion about solutions that could satisfy all these concerns."