Data from The New York Times COVID Tracker showed 88,696 new COVID cases in the U.S. on July 26, 2021, the highest number recorded since February 12, at 99,627.
The upward trend in new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, has spurred the CDC to issue new guidance urging adults and children alike to wear masks in public, indoors*, regardless of vaccination status.
“Information on the Delta variant from several states and other countries indicates that, on rare occasions, some vaccinated people infected with the Delta variant after vaccination may be contagious and spread the virus to others. This new science is worrisome and unfortunately warrants an update to our recommendations.”
— CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, July 27, 2021
While U.S. health experts claimed for months that vaccines would curb transmission, recent studies have shown that vaccinated people carry similar levels of viral load as unvaccinated people, prompting the CDC to recommend that even vaccinated individuals mask up— indoors and out.
For vaccine skeptics, the new guidance doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Nearly 70% of the country is now vaccinated, making it statistically impossible that only a third of the population is responsible for the drastic increase in COVID cases.
While health industry technocrats clamor about “the pandemic of the unvaccinated,” their own science now shows that the vaccinated are responsible for the surge in transmission. If viral load correlates with transmission, the vaccinated and unvaccinated have the same viral load, and 70% of the population is now vaccinated, then it is statistically impossible that the majority of new COVID cases are being transmitted by the unvaccinated.
It’s worth noting that COVID cases were already dropping by the time mass distribution of vaccines began across the U.S., in late January 2021. While it’s possible vaccines helped continue that downward trend, it cannot be said they were the cause. As for the implementation and lifting and reimplementation of mask mandates and lockdowns, those too defy logic as new COVID cases rise.
“The typical mask you buy in the drug store is not really effective in keeping out virus, which is small enough to pass through material. It might, however, provide some slight benefit in keep out gross droplets if someone coughs or sneezes on you. …I do not recommend that you wear a mask, particularly since you are going to a very low risk location.”
—Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Now that COVID case counts have surpassed early February 2021 statistics, the question becomes whether vaccines themselves are to blame.
Seasonality and overall health risk seem as likely contributors to COVID severity as vaccination, but only time will tell. Wherever we find ourselves this winter, it cannot be good news that cases are rising to pre-vaccine levels despite the majority of the country being vaccinated, particularly when traditional flu season is still months away.
* CORRECTION: The original version of this story stated the CDC recommended masking “indoors and outdoors.” This is incorrect. The CDC has not recommended masking outdoors. Yet.
* CLARIFICATION: The original version of this story was still technically incorrect, as the CDC has not recommending masking outdoors. However, on July 28, 2021, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recommended wearing masks outdoors as an extra precaution.
Categories: COVID Counterpunch
The Conservative New Mexican 
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