The evidence now proves (as Dr. Fauci said in the early days of the pandemic) that cloth masks are ineffective, and we now also know surgical masks are minimally protective, while properly fitted N95 masks can protect the wearer against infection. Once we finally reopened schools, we discovered what many of us had been suggesting all along: that there were no meaningful outbreaks that resulted in death or serious illness, even among unvaccinated students and teachers. And we now know that the closures and heavy restrictions imposed on restaurants, businesses, recreational facilities, and the hospitality industry had nowhere near their full intended effects.
Moreover, today we have numerous vaccines available to anyone who wants one, as well as solid clinical evidence of their protective benefits against serious illness or death. We also have information about their lack of protection against infection, and a vast understanding of their risks, all of which empowers individuals to make their own choices. Moreover, we have numerous safe and effective FDA-authorized treatments, including two orally administered outpatient therapies, which can nearly erase the chances of serious illness or death when taken on time. And, thanks to the high infectivity of the Omicron variant, we have exceptionally high rates of natural immunity to the point that we have begun approaching herd immunity.
But the draconian measures we took in the name of “flattening the curve,” “stopping the spread,” and saving lives came with a great cost. We are now only beginning to realize the extent of the devastation caused by the strict COVID lockdowns, school closures, and mandates, nearly all of which failed to have a meaningful impact on the course of the pandemic. We placed millions of people on chronic unemployment and made them dependent on the government for housing, utilities, and food. We caused immeasurable learning loss and psychological harm in children. We caused obesity rates to skyrocket. We canceled countless celebrations and trips, kept millions from seeing their physicians, and induced a permanent sense of paranoia among so many. And we labeled those who dared question these policies as unpatriotic or “domestic terrorists.” In other words, we created enormous harm and division to achieve, at best, a small benefit.
But perhaps the greatest lesson we have learned from this period of our history is that government, and the public health establishment, are not always right, that regular citizens (particularly parents) should be trusted, and that the American people value individual freedom and autonomy above all else.