ABC issued a tweet late on Sunday night cautioning Americans that normalcy is many months away. There was no indication as to where this information came from or who made this prediction.
ABC issued a tweet late on Sunday night that read "Americans will likely need to wait several months until enough of society has been vaccinated for life to return to normal." There was no indication as to what the source of this information was or who made this prediction.
Instead, ABC simply made the claim that despite the vaccines approved by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech, life as it was before the pandemic will not be possible any time soon.
It's as though "ABC has begun tweeting what they want to be news before they even do any write-up." And in some ways, as Jack Posobiec noted, it's definitely "more honest."
ABC has begun tweeting what they want to be news before they even do any write-up. More honest tbh. pic.twitter.com/r5H8342YjV
— Jack Posobiec ?? (@JackPosobiec)
Most of those who commented on the ABC tweet didn't even notice that there was no source for this claim and simply accepted it at face value, arguing amongst themselves as to the relative merit of the statement—many appeared to agree—without having the benefit of any actual information.
ABC and other mainstream media outlets have a narrative they're trying to peddle, one that has the same shifting goalposts for success and normalcy as Dr. Anthony Fauci, who admitted that he was making a "guesstimate" when he offered calculations on what herd immunity would look like.
The story that ABC meant to link to, the one they linked to on Facebook, was an article called "Now that we have 2 vaccines, will life return to normal?" By Dr. Nicholas Nessen.
Nessen urged caution, saying that though there are two vaccines, and "Americans are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel," "there's still a lot to learn," and that "the pandemic is likely to get worse before it gets better." In this he echoed Fauci and President-elect Joe Biden.
He quoted Dr. Simone Wildes, an infectious disease doctor at South Shore Health, who said "Life will not get back to normal immediately," and that "the vaccine will be a main part of getting us back to normalcy in the coming months."
Nessen asked questions about the vaccines for which he doesn't have answers. These, he supposes, are reason enough to continue living under lockdowns, wearing face masks, socially distancing, and keeping businesses closed.
He said that "...it's unknown if the vaccines can prevent asymptomatic disease, or how effectively they stop transmission. And it's also unknown how long protection lasts—whether it's a few months or a few years."
Nessen said that "...until scientists can answer those questions, even people who are vaccinated will need to continue wearing masks and keeping socially distant." Wildes predicts that the fall of 2021 could arrive with some sort of return to normal life.
Nessen has concerns about vaccine storage hindering distributions, and said that "This means Americans will likely need to wait several months until enough of society has been vaccinated for life to return to normal."
Nessen quoted Fauci, not noting that Fauci keeps changing the goalposts, writing "Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease doctor, has repeatedly said vaccine participation will need to be at least 75% in order to achieve herd immunity and stop the virus." At other times, Fauci also claimed that it could be 80 or 90 percent.
In summation, Nessen said that until "widespread vaccination," which "is still months away," "it will be important that everyone continues to take precautions."
Nessen urges everyone to "Continue wearing a mask, maintaining at least six feet of distance between yourself and others, washing hands, and avoiding large indoor gatherings," and claims that "The more we all do our part, the sooner we'll be able to return to the way of life that we all once knew."
This has been the message that has accompanied every new guesstimate from elected leaders and health officials. Given that the information they meant to reference had nothing to recommend it but a continuance of shifting expectations, it's no wonder they left off the source.
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