ABC’s Raddatz Worries Americans Are Done With Pandemic & Masking

On ABC’s This Week, co-anchor Martha Raddatz invited Doctor Michael Osterholm, the Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy to discuss how the country should move forward in light of a federal court ruling that struck down the CDC’s federal mask mandate. Raddatz was content to complain that Americans have lost the fight against pandemics. 

Raddatz heard from Osterholm, that although he was in support “respiratory protection”The current policy that passengers must cover their faces with any kind of face or mask is absurd. “just check[ing] a box.”

He stated that this was due to “you have most people not wearing an N95, they’re wearing a face cloth covering or even a surgical mask which is not effective in reducing transmission.” 

Inquiring further about the current policy on masks, he pointed out how “if you’re eating or drinking you don’t have to have something on your face, and then finally about a quarter of all people wear it underneath their nose which is like closing only three of the five-screen doors on your submarine.”  He then remarked that “what we want to do is stop talking about masking and talking about effective respiratory protection.”

Raddatz was sad that she had to be on this plane last week. “about a fifth of the people maybe had a mask on, the others seemed jubilant that they didn’t have to wear a mask.”

In desperate need of everyone to be able to cover up, she asked Osterholm “how do you really return to that or advise people? They seem done with it!”

Raddatz received bad news from Osterholm, which Osterholm was obliged to share with Raddatz. “the U.S. public is done with the pandemic.” He noted that the requirements for masking have changed. “philosophical and political issue, not a science issue”It is rightly observed how “the media at the very outset is one of the problems”We are grateful “they keep talking about masks. That’s like talking about the difference between a condom that’s intact and a condom that has a hundred holes in it.”

Raddatz whining that Americans are done with pandemic restrictions was made possible by lucrative sponsorships by CarFax & Fidelity. The information they have is linked. 

To read the relevant transcript of this segment, click “expand”: 

ABC’s This Week
4/24/2022
Eastern at 9:20 p.m.

MARTHA RAMADATZ: Mandates for the overall mask are confusing. This is especially true this week with mandates being lifted. Mandates returned, reinstated. Re-evaluated. According to “The New York Times”, this week’s public health advice is way out of date. It was all about protecting your masks. What guidance do you think is the most effective? 

DR. MICHAEL OSTERHOLM (DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH & POLICY): Well, it is off. Let me first be very clear. Respiratory protection is something I strongly support. A N95 respirator can help someone protect them and others. However, the virus is carried by aerosol. These fine particles float in the air. It’s like smoke, it’s like perfume and you have to have a high-quality respiratory protection device to protect yourself. Today’s airplanes are more than just a checkbox. It doesn’t work. Why? Because first of all, you have most people not wearing an N95, they’re wearing a face cloth covering or even a surgical mask which is not effective in reducing transmission. 

The important thing is that you do not have to wear something under your nose when eating, drinking, or getting onboard. So it is not very effective. So, we need to stop talking about masking. We should be talking about respiratory protection.

RADDATZ – How can you accomplish that? It’s all about flying. The country was my home this week. A fifth had masks on. The rest seemed happy that the masks were removed. What can you do to help people or return to the mask? They are over it.

OSTERHOLM Even though this virus has not left us, we must recognize it in public healthcare. It is impossible to swim against this tide so we need to be realistic. We need to be credible. Unfortunately, this is now a political and philosophical issue and not a science one. That is what the media does at the beginning of every story. It’s all about masks. That’s like talking about the difference between a condom that’s intact and a condom that has a hundred holes in it. But it’s a condom! No, there is very different effectiveness using these different approaches so from my perspective I would say particularly if you’re an immunocompromised individual, someone who’s at serious risk of illness and serious illness, you need to wear that N95 respirator. It would be great if everyone could do this. However, we don’t have to address a scientific issue here.