Lockdown! Here there be Mosquitoes!
I'm concerned this will become the go-to answer for ever increasing issues.
By TLS
I recently read (skimmed) an article on Foxnews.com that popped up on my Google page. I don’t know if Fox is relevant to the perspective of the article, but I’ll mention it just in case.
The article reported on a recent public health policy in New England for residents to ‘self-lockdown’ in the early evenings to reduce exposure risk to mosquitoes. Some mosquitoes in the area may be infected with Eastern equine encephalitis, a rare but serious infection.
This may be smart, this may be stupid, my money is leaning heavily toward the stupid side. I am also seriously concerned about the precedent this will help institutionalize as a viable solution, to more and more “problems.”
Pre-pandemic this solution would have been almost unheard of, and then only in the most extreme circumstances. Public Health now seems happy to prescribe this remedy for almost any perceived ailment. Has this new cure-all treatment proven useful or helpful in any meaningful, measurable way? Not really. But that’s beside the point.
I’m certain if, 10 years ago, the best Hollywood screenwriters were asked to write a script about how to most screw up handling a global pandemic, I’m sure it would be almost identical to what actually happened during covid.
Public health (and FDA & CDC) have rapidly been losing credibility and is on an express trip down to the abyssal plain of irrelevance. These agencies have lost most if not all their credible, experienced leadership. Mostly due to resignations in protest to political ‘public health’ policies enacted by administrators and bureaucrats, which often fall right in line with many high-value corporations’ business models, hmmmmm…
The result is there are few intelligent and competent people left heading these agencies.
The mosquito lockdown may be helpful, probably not, and probably more overall harmful. The point here is there is no good research to suggest it is preferable. An ethical treatment should have clear benefits with little to no harm, and clearly outweigh the harm. Does this self-imposed lockdown meet that criteria? Likely not. But I’m sure it certainly meets the new rigorous public health standards of jump first, look to see if there’s ground later.
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