This week, in an unusual move rarely witnessed in Washington, D.C., Centers for Disease Control Director Rochelle Walensky ordered an overhaul of the "health" agency's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"For 75 years, CDC and public health have been preparing for Covid-19, and in our big moment, our performance did not reliably meet expectations," Walensky wrote in an email to CDC staff. "My goal is a new, public health action-oriented culture at CDC that emphasizes accountability, collaboration, communication, and timeliness."
In April, an internal review of the agency's response to the pandemic found guidance was "confusing and overwhelming."
But the CDC's description of guidance as "confusing" gives the agency a free pass. For years, the agency was telling the American people to do things that were obviously contradictory, illogical, stupid and didn't make any sense.
The CDC's guidance, parroted and relied upon heavily by the current White House, wasn't simply "confusing." It was cruel and inhumane. What they did to Americans was atrocious and should not be forgotten or forgiven.
In March 2020, CDC, NIH and state health agency data showed COVID-19 was fatal for the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions. Obesity topped the list as a major danger for individuals younger than 65 years of age.
"It's so clear that the overwhelming weight of serious disease and mortality is on those who are elderly and those with a serious comorbidity: heart disease, chronic lung disease, diabetes, obesity, respiratory difficulties," Dr. Anthony Fauci, who helped influence federal guidance alongside the CDC said on March 9, 2020. "There will be outliers, as we've seen with influenza, [a person] who is young and healthy who winds up getting COVID-19, seriously ill and dies. But if you look at the weight of the data the risk group is very, very clear."
"Very, very clear." And yet, the CDC and other federal government agency officials — including Fauci — continued the lockdowns and the downward spiral into a health police state.
Hospitals denied entry to loved ones whose relatives, including spouses and children, were in intensive care. They died isolated and without anyone there to hold their hands. Pregnant women were forced to give birth alone and husbands were shut out of routine doctor visits for ultrasounds or other prenatal care. Mothers were routinely and forcefully separated from their babies in maternity wards under the guise of "COVID caution." Other medical emergencies were ignored. Cancer patients and individuals needing emergency surgeries for injuries were told to wait indefinitely for treatment.
As the pandemic dragged on and eventually vaccines were produced, government health officials became even more emboldened by their newfound power and control. They immediately advocated for mandated vaccination, despite the vaccines still being in experimental stages, and urged politicians to implement harsh laws and rules to run "the unvaccinated" out of society. Unvaccinated individuals, most of whom had natural immunity after easily recovering from the disease, were told they shouldn't be able to leave their homes. In major cities across the country, they were shut out of restaurants, gyms, entertainment venues and much more. They were fired from their jobs, including nurses, doctors, police and firefighters who worked the frontlines of the pandemic when vaccines weren't available. President Joe Biden attempted to force vaccination on every American worker through OSHA. The "unvaccinated" were consistently vilified and targeted for harassment. Early on, the science showed the vaccine didn't prevent infection or the spread of the disease. "The unvaccinated" were targeted anyway.
Punishing the most innocent in our society, CDC officials allowed politically motivated teachers' unions to control the timeline for school re-openings. They chose union guidance over scientific evidence that showed schools were safe. Children were shut out of their classrooms for years and set back for a generation. The consequences were obvious two years ago, and now they're coming to fruition.
"Emerging evidence reveals an uptick in developmental delays and challenging behaviors in children belonging to the 'COVID generation.' Born during or shortly before the pandemic, many of these children are talking, walking and interacting later and less frequently. They're more prone to certain behaviors, such as outbursts, physical aggression and separation anxiety," USA Today reports.
These are just a few examples. There are countless others, including innocent parents of toddlers getting kicked off of planes for failing to mask their toddlers. Millions of sane Americans have their own experiences with outrageous, illogical and absurd COVID-19 regulations.
The CDC could have avoided a complete collapse in trust in the institution by taking a dose of common sense and following real science. Instead, the agency's leaders followed political science and millions of Americans suffered greatly as a result. For years, health officials went on an anti-American crusade based on ego, pride and political goals. Never forget what they did and vote for politicians who plan on limiting their power to destroy people's lives in the future.