>Homemade Masks...When you don't have N95/KN95 masks available for the general public...thanks to DJT ignoring the Obama Admin's "Pandemic Preparedness Plan" and not doing anything to replenish our Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) of items like Respirators for his 3 years in office before the COVID-19 pandemic...you do whatever you can to allow citizens to shop for critical items and services, like Groceries, Hospitals and Doctors' Offices...even if it means creating cloth masks...so as to mitigate (i.e. lessen) the risk of contracting that potentially life-threatening disease.
Note that Baron's own posting of an MIT Study on masking advocated...with typical MIT scholarly analysis...for the use of masks in indoor settings (e.g. Schools and Nursing Homes)...be they Cloth, Surgical, or N95/KN95 quality...the only distinctions be the recommended amount of time spent in an enclosure, depending on ventilation, spacing and numbers of people therein. Yet Baron somehow interpreted the study as recommending 'Against Masking'...go figure.
Then there's the the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) Study of Boston School Districts, where 2 Districts (Comprising nearly 20% of all students and staff in the Study) continued to wear masks and saw markedly fewer COVID-19 cases than the other Districts who stopped mandating masks...which Baron, for some reason, thought was just an Opinion Piece without any data whatsoever. Fortunately, I was able to point out to him how to find the data and rigorous analysis that used the stringent "Difference in Difference" methodology. Sadly, Baron "Ignored" my evidence and never acknowledged the correction...although another poster who sided with BVZ challenged me, and ended up with the phrase "Fair Enough", indicating acceptance that I was right and Baron was wrong.
>Vaccine prevention of COVID-19 spread...the initial versions of Pfizer and Moderna's mRNA vaccines had Phase III human trial effectiveness results of 94-95%...which would allow 'Herd Immunity' if over 70% of the population were fully vaccinated, given the Transmissibility Rating for SARS-CoV-2. No one ever claimed that the mRNA vaccines were 100% effective, but as you can see, if the Biden admin were able to get 70+% of the population to take those extremely safe vaccines...which Baron and his Family did...it would have certainly saved many more lives. Unfortunately, a great deal of misinformation helped keep that objective from being achieved. With the proven effectiveness and safety of the mRNA vaccines and the Danger from COVID-19, Federal and Private Mandates were sound and appropriate means for achieving the desired Herd Immunity as quickly as possible. Again, sadly, the virus mutated and vaccination rates didn't rise to the needed levels.
>6 Foot Rule...During a pandemic, people still need to feed themselves and shop for critical items as well as services...therefore they will gather in large numbers in close proximity to each other, which works in favor of the virus. Thus, in very short order, guidance is needed...based on the Transmissibility of the virus (R0 number)...that attempts to strike a balance between the need for food & services and distancing in closed places. Since this was a brand new virus with very little understanding of it...and NO TIME to conduct a rigorous study, a "Seat of the Pants" recommendation was made for "6 Feet" between persons. One should think about how many people would end up getting infected while one, or more, studies were conducted in order to arrive at the 'Optimal' distancing of 3, 6, 10, 20, 50 feet. Anyone who would insist on such studies under such deadly conditions would be a candidate for Psychiatric Analysis...especially someone with an MD license.
>Wuhan Lab Leak...It is a well known fact that no one has yet produced verifiable evidence of SARS-CoV-2's origin...that takes rigorous Microbiological data and analysis...the only people who would have such information live in the PRC, and they're not talking...so anyone who asserts that the virus definitely originated in, or came from, the Wuhan Lab is lying...especially anyone with an MD degree.
>School Shutdowns...Once COVID-19 was found to be a worldwide pandemic...and there were no primary weapons (vaccines) available to defeat it...it was sound medical practice to enforce lockdowns and school closures. Once vaccines were available, for protection of Teachers and Staff, as well as Children who could still transmit the disease to family members and other vulnerable people they might come in contact with, then...after implementing helpful room ventilation, spacing measures and Masking(see MIT and NEJM Studies) School Districts could entertain opening their classrooms...which they did, pending reviews. Each pathogen is different, so a hard and fast determination of duration for ALL epidemics/pandemics is not possible...also, to assert that Schools NEVER close regardless of the biology involved, is irrational and potentially deadly.
>Vaccines for 'Unindicated' or Healthy Children...First off many "Unindicated" persons, or assumedly healthy children, may ACTUALLY be Vulnerable to the disease...but ALL persons are potential spreaders of the disease, therefore it is Prudent to have all persons, over a given age, vaccinated...for the Benefit of ALL...with the proviso of medically verified contraindications for the vaccine being reasons for not getting vaccinated.
>Not allowing Churches to be open...While Store shopping is necessary for human habitation (Groceries, Medications, Clothing...etc.), opening of Churches where people assemble shoulder to shoulder, and emit copious amounts of potentially disease laden aerosols while singing hymns during a known pandemic, borders on the insane. No more need be said...besides, it's in the best interest of Churches to not unnecessarily reduce the numbers of Faithful Congregants.
>Teachers Unions...Teachers are at much higher risk of bad outcomes from COVID infections, and each infected Teacher sidelined affects a significant number students...they have reason to be heard when it comes to this issue. By signing up to be Teachers they are clearly dedicated to serving the best interests of their students, and to imply that they are "villains" in this situation is to say the least, "Inappropriate". Now, with the benefit of recent experience, there hopefully will be a "meeting of the minds" between Teachers, School Boards...and Parents...on how best to deal with another pandemic, which is not unreasonable to expect.
>Finally, based on the shameful lack of quality exhibited lately in Trump's HHS selections (e.g. RFK Jr....Casey Means...etc.) we can be thankful that the Biden administration took over the management of COVID-19 when we needed that reliance on Science, Expertise and Intelligence.
It's sad to witness a Notre Dame Alum and MD choose Politics over sound Medicine...it is what it is.