Is ABC News right about masks bringing Omicron deaths down in East Asia?
What do you think?
I had hoped that world-leading case rates in Japan, South Korea, and Singapore would mean the mainstream media not publishing any more articles by mask fetishists with a cargo-cultish adoration for East Asian mask mania.
Sadly, my hopes were dashed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The article is an absolute doozy. Let’s look at the highlights.
As the mask mandate debate rages on in Australia, epidemiologists and medical specialists suggest looking to countries where citizens are perfectly happy to wear them to see how powerful the simple infection-control measure can be.
A recent survey carried out by a group of Japanese parents found almost 90% of children surveyed wanted to unmask. They are NOT happy to wear them.
University of Otago public health professor and epidemiologist Michael Baker said underlying the widespread acceptance of masks in some countries was a sense of personal responsibility to protect others from COVID-19.
"I'm looking at the countries that appear, on paper, to be keeping their mortality very low … despite having lots of circulating virus, and it's basically the Asian countries, particularly Japan, South Korea, Singapore," he said.
If masks prevent infections, why do these countries have “lots of circulating virus”, i.e. lots of infections?
Professor Baker said Singapore was a good comparison.
What makes Singapore a good comparison with Australia? Why not compare Australia with New Zealand, which is much more demographically/culturally similar and still mandates masks?
"They did have elimination for a long time, and then they decided that it wasn't compatible for their economic model so they switched to allowing transmission. And, really, they're still keeping case numbers and, particularly, deaths down," he said.
No, Singapore is not keeping cases down compared with Australia or anywhere else. And neither is Japan or South Korea.
But Prof Baker is right that universally masked Singaporeans, South Koreans, and Japanese are currently dying with/from Covid in lower numbers than generally unmasked Australians, as the figure from the article shows. So is he trying to say masks prevent Covid deaths but not infections?
But if masks prevent deaths in the East Asian countries, why is New Zealand having more daily deaths than Australia “despite” mask mandates?
New Zealand has a much wider mask mandate than Australia but, even if face coverings are required, there is no established culture of wearing them.
So masks don’t prevent deaths when mandated but do when there is an established culture? Now I’m really confused. So tell me more about this magical culture.
Deakin University epidemiologist and associate professor Hassan Vally said wearing masks was just one example of how cultural differences were contributing to COVID-19 success in some Asian countries.
"We have a very individualistic culture in the West and it's the mirror image in the East.
"The emphasis rather, [than] being on freedoms and individuality and independence, is on community and unity and looking at things in a holistic way.
So what are examples of this holistic way of looking at things?
In Singapore, there is a requirement for masks to be worn in indoor public spaces, including libraries, markets, shopping centres, schools and weddings.
The bride and groom are allowed to switch their mask for a face shield as the ceremony takes place, but the mandate only allows guests to take their face coverings off while eating and drinking.
Sounds like great fun! After all, what kind or bride or groom would want to see the smiles of their friends and relatives at their wedding? Prioritising Covid cosplay at important social events is myopic, not holistic.
Next, the article moves onto my turf: Japan!
Such is the social pressure to wear a mask in Japan, residents report being stared at should they venture outside without one.
Yep. Many Japanese wear masks because they’re more scared of other Japanese than the virus. That is a sign of society with serious mental health issues. And it gets worse.
Even as Japan sweltered during a heatwave in May and June, residents did not lose their commitment to outdoor face masks, so much so, the government was forced to issue heat stroke warnings.
How holistic! Japan’s mask psychosis has reached the point of people consciously choosing to risk hospitalisation from heatstroke rather than unmask. Even the New York Times admitted over a year ago that outdoor masking is pointless, but ABC News apparently thinks Japan’s kamikaze mask compliance is worthy of praise and emulation.
"Wearing masks has become a daily custom, so people seem resistant to removing them and people also might feel it's difficult to stop wearing them when many around them continue to do so," Miyagi Governor, Murai Yoshihiro, said.
Far from being “perfectly happy to wear them”, lots of Japanese want to unmask, but dare not because they don’t want to stand out and be perceived negatively. As I’ve written God knows how many times at this point, Japan’s strong prioritisation of social harmony made it a nice country before Covid, but it’s made Japan a dystopian clown show now.
Mask mania has negative economic consequences too. The media-induced fear of unmasked foreigners means Japan still shows no sign of properly opening its borders to foreign travelers even after it’s been reported that about 5000 hotels and ryokan (10% of the pre-Covid total) have closed in the last two years.
Articles glorifying universal masking do the Japanese no favours. At this point, applauding the Japanese for continued masking is like telling a guy hearing voices in his head “I hear the voices too! It’s the people who can’t that are the problem.”
Speaking of psychology, the only actual science the article discusses is research by Canadian psychologists on perceptions of mask-wearers.
"The frequent use of masks may be reinforced by the relatively favourable attitudes [that] Chinese Canadians held toward public mask-wearing, such as perceiving mask-wearers to be respectful and responsible," the findings read.
"In contrast, the early mask use hesitancy among non-East Asian Canadians might be associated with their ambivalent attitudes toward public mask use. Specifically, although some non-East Asian Canadians perceived mask-wearers to be socially responsible, others perceived mask-wearers to be ill, strange and overreacting."
Pre-Covid, people in Japan generally only wore masks when they had colds, so mainly in winter. So people wearing masks outdoors in summer would’ve been perceived as ill, strange, and overreacting in Japan too prior to 2020.
The researchers said cultural and social norms were "a powerful force in shaping health-related behaviours" and recommended policymakers utilise the power of personal connections to bring about long-lasting change.
They said: "Increased use among one's family, friends, neighbours and colleagues may induce the pressure for one to conform to avoid social disapproval."
Oh, now I see the point of this article. Australians need to stop thinking for themselves and just copy what everyone else does, like East Asians apparently do.
In cultures where masks are widely adopted, there appears to be both an individualistic motivation and a responsibility to the greater good.
As the article clarified a few paragraphs before, Japanese people aren’t wearing masks outdoors in 35+ degree heat for the greater good.
Dr Vally said as well as getting booster shots, wearing a mask was "one of the easiest things we can do" right now to help prevent transmission and to protect vulnerable people.
No MSM article would be complete without an ode to the jabs. Imagine how much worse it would be without them! It would be like 2020 all over again.
But what explains the large wave of Covid deaths in South Korea in March/April 2022? Did South Koreans temporarily become more individualistic and stop emphasising “community and unity”? Anyway, back to Dr Vally.
"With wearing masks and with mandates, it's reached this kind of emotionally charged position where it seems to be a symbol of other things," he said.
“Seems to be a symbol”? Here’s the New England Journal of Medicine in May 2020.
"At the end of the day, it's a piece of fabric that you put over your nose and your mouth to act as a bit of a barrier to help us reduce your likelihood of being exposed to the virus or exposing other people to the virus. That's all it is."
I know! Since when did people ever have to use their nose and mouth properly?
So now that they can no longer point to the lower case rates in Japan and other East Asian countries, the maskers are pointing to the lower fatality rates and disingenuously claiming this is thanks to masks rather than population health factors.
But I’ll say one thing for the maskers. I doubt the original cargo cults maintained their faith for so long with as much conviction.
Another great write up. Top! The points regarding losing individuality and fawning over group/folk think is so very much of the moment too. Scary times.
I am in Thailand and cannot wear a mask. Thankfully things are getting loosened on that front but for awhile going in public without one yes I got those open stares. The collective shaming is absurd and immoral...good write up