Dr. Moore and the Media Must Take Responsibility for Viral Deaths in January

Let's have a look at that article by Elizabeth Payne that highlights a mishmash of comments from Our Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore: "Ontario's chief medical officer of health links viral surge to 'negative consequences' of extended mask mandates, rules out new ones -- for now."

First of all, as a journalist, there's a duty to report facts and be objective about it, but, seriously, that one statement, "continued masking can decrease our overall immunity to other viruses" furthered by the headline is going to cost people their lives. I'd give Payne a pass because she's just writing what he said, and she likely didn't choose that headline, but she did tweet out the headline to her followers:

She could have, instead highlighted that her article also said, about immunity debt,

"It counters some evidence that exposure to COVID is affecting some peoples' immune cells and weakening their immunity. Moore said it makes sense that people with Long COVID have some kind of immune dysregulation and the province is reviewing the hypothesis." 

Here's tons of evidence that Covid is causing dysregulation, not debt.

Or Payne also could have maybe pointed out how self-contradictory Moore is, even just within that one interview, first implying that masks aren't necessary when we have other tools, like vaccines, then pointing out that he's watching the surge in Quebec and "working to understand more about how evasive and transmissible the new COVID-19 subvaiants are." Vaccines clearly aren't enough to protect us, especially now that the BQ variants have overtaken the BA.5s. 

Or she could have tweeted out anything from this part of her article: 

"Moore does advise people to wear masks, especially in crowded public places such as on transit or in malls. . . . People should continue to use layers of protection over the holidays, including good ventilation, masking in some settings and isolating at home if sick. . . . He also apologized if his appearance at a Toronto Life party without a mask after he recommended indoor masking confused people. Moore said he always wears a mask in public spaces such as stores and on transit but in social situations, especially where there is food, he does individual calculations about his risk."

But, I'd hasten to add, not his risk to others. 

And, of course, the Ottawa Citizen should be taking some heat as well. Think of how many lives could have been saved if the newspaper chose the headline: "Moore advises masks -- apologizes for removing his" 

At least the article contains what might be the funniest line of the year:

"In hindsight, I wouldn't have gone. I don't like confusing the public."