Unmasking Wayne Hoffman and the Idaho Freedom Foundation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is an article by Wayne Hoffman at the Idaho Freedom Foundation on November 14, 2020 titled Masks are little more than a crisis communication tool. But it is based on very shallow research. If he had looked around before writing it, then he would have found another article from November 10, 2020 at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) titled Scientific Brief: community use of cloth masks to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Their conclusion is:

 

“Experimental and epidemiological data support community masking to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2. The prevention benefit of masking is derived from the combination of source control and personal protection for the mask wearer. The relationship between source control and personal protection is likely complementary and possibly synergistic, so that individual benefit increases with increasing community mask use. Further research is needed to expand the evidence base for the protective effect of cloth masks and in particular to identify the combinations of materials that maximize both their blocking and filtering effectiveness, as well as fit, comfort, durability, and consumer appeal. Adopting universal masking policies can help avert future lockdowns, especially if combined with other non-pharmaceutical interventions such as social distancing, hand hygiene, and adequate ventilation.”

 

But instead Wayne made the following claim:

 

“The fact remains that there are states with observed high levels of mask wearing, according to Carnegie Mellon University. That includes California and New York. If masks worked as well as the public health experts now claim they work, occurrences of the virus would be negligible in places like California and New York, where mask wearing is near universal.”

 

The article he referred to shows maps of the rates for mask wear but not the rates for COVID-19. Wayne did not even finish making his argument. For those states and Idaho’s neighbors I looked up the number of new cases for the last month at the Johns Hopkins University web site, and the 2019 populations at the Census web site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The table shown above lists the rates expressed as cases per 100,000 population. Rates for coastal states (California and New York, and our two neighbors Oregon and Washington) are far lower than for inland states (Idaho and our other four neighbors). The average for those coastal states is 469 cases, or almost four times lower than Idaho’s rate of 1827. That’s not quite negligible but is strikingly different. So, masks are far more than just a crisis communication tool.

 

Wayne began by discussing his experience with crisis communication fifteen years ago. But he didn’t bother to check for more recent information. Back on May 30, 2014 I blogged about Remembering what is important in crisis communication – the CDC CERC pocket or emergency card. That little card lists these seven top tips:

 

Don’t over reassure.
Acknowledge uncertainty.
Express wishes (‘I wish I had answers’).
Explain the process in place to find answers.
Acknowledge people’s fear.
Give people things to do.
Ask more of people (share risks).

 

At the bottom is the slogan BE FIRST. BE RIGHT. BE CREDIBLE. But Mr. Hoffman and his foundation are neither right nor credible.

 

An image for acute dementia came from the 1896 Atlas of Clinical Medicine at the web site for the U. S. National Library of Medicine.