Another 7-Day Vacation from Twitter
Twitter has again determined that I’ve broken the Rules. (The last time was in July.)
I can’t post, retweet, like, follow, or send images in direct messaging for 7 days and must either delete the tweet or appeal the decision.
The post, which included a link to this Good Morning America story about a single, unvaccinated mom who reportedly died from “complications due to COVID-19,” was the third in a 3-tweet thread
Tweet 1
The first tweet is my comment on a direct quote from a Chalkbeat Chicago article, attributed to Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.
This tweet wasn’t flagged, but I’ve since learned that the Chalkbeat reporters likely misquoted Ezike’s statements in an August 26th press conference. Reviewing the video, I hear her say, “If we actually want our kids to be in school for in-person learning, masking is a great protection and our best bet. The bottom line is masks are effective. Vaccines are effective. But until more people are vaccinated, we need to take the steps to protect our healthcare workers, protect our hospital resources, and protect our most vulnerable.” (28:50)
Unless Chalkbeat is quoting from a different statement, they’ve made a grave error. Without question, “Masks are as effective as vaccines are” is a different message from “Masks are effective. Vaccines are effective.” Perhaps he reporters were sincere in their misapprehension, but this can’t be written off as a typo or autocorrection. (I’ve reached out to Chalkbeat about the apparent error.)
Arguably, Ezike’s phrasing does give an impression that she considers masks and vaccines equally effective.
Tweet 2
The second tweet in the thread builds on what Ezike was quoted to have said. IDPH and City of Chicago data show sizable gaps between vaccine uptake among Black and Latinx residents compared to other racial/ethnic groups.
Although Ezike evidently didn’t claim, “masks are as effective as vaccines are,” calling both masks and vaccines both “effective” sends the message that they are at least roughly equivalent in terms of protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. It’s not surprising that the Chalkbeat reporters got the impression that the IDPH Director is saying “six of one, half dozen of the other” choice.
In light of the data and their goals, do Dr. Ezike, the Governor of Illinois, and other public health officials like Chicago’s Alison Arwady, realize how anti-vaccine, anti-equity their claims about the virus-stopping power of cloth really are? Doesn’t seem like it.
Tweet 3
Now the third tweet in the thread, which included a link to an August 20th story from Good Morning America. This is the one that was tweet & linked story that was flagged. (I’ve appealed, but Twitter only gives space for a few sentences, so it’s unlikely I’ll win)
We’ve had 18 months of public-health messaging that has told people — including those most vulnerable to severe outcomes — wearing a mask in public will protect them. It breaks my heart, honestly, to watch all kinds of people who are clearly at risk — from the elderly to the obese — fear the virus, fear the vaccine, yet cling to cotton.
Which is exactly what Cindy Dawkins and her family were doing, according to her son:
“I think she wasn't sure about the vaccine, and we followed the rules and kept our masks on," Burrows told Good Morning America. "Now seeing how it happened and how quickly it happened, it definitely changed our perspective. Getting a vaccine helps more than any damage it could do."
Yes, the effectiveness of the vaccine continues to be debated.
Yes, people die from & with COVID-19 even after they’re vaccinated.
But I hope both “No Choice” and “Pro Choice” advocates can agree that it’s dangerous to steer any vulnerable person toward something that offers as little protection as using a shoelace for a seatbelt, and away from consulting a doctor about vaccines and other preventative treatments.
My tweet wasn’t “misleading or potentially harmful”.
The guidance Cindy Dawkins followed was.
I’ve posted an Update to this post here.