I think this is a bit disingenuous. First of all, you're looking back with the benefit of hindsight and the knowledge of the virus that we have today. Additionally, weren't most of the recommendations around mask wearing that people not gobble up PPE because there was such a shortage of it around the country for first responders and hospital staff? Isn't that one of the primary reasons why people across the country started making homemade masks out of t-shirts and other spare cloth?
The surgeon general said in March that masks were not effective for the general public against Covid-19.
The CDC said on March 13, 2020 that there is really no evidence that wearing a mask will reduce your risk for any respiratory infection.
Of course they say there’s no evidence that a mask will protect YOU. Masks aren’t supposed to protect YOU. They prevent YOU transmitting the virus to OTHERS. So of course it doesn’t reduce YOUR risk of respiratory infection. That conclusion has not changed.
The guidance was pretty clear: they didn’t want people wearing masks because there was a PPE shortage. Now there isn’t a shortage, so they want people wearing masks.
It's false that the guidance was clear the reason for recommending people not wear masks was because of a shortage. US health officials stated that masks were ineffective and may increase the likelihood of infection because of touching your face while wearing a mask.
As someone pointed out Sweden to this day has this to say about mask usage:
"The scientific evidence around the effectiveness of face masks in combatting the spread of infection is weak, which is why different countries have arrived at different recommendations."
https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/the-public-health-agency...
(I'm not sure this is on point to Youtube's policy here, though - they say they aren't banning all vaccine skepticism, just specific categories of silly disinformation like microchips.)
My country made masks for protests mandatory. Now people are complaining too. I would say that you should enjoy this new freedom. In normal times you meet the water cannon if you show up with a mask to a protest.
The problem is that many outlets lied directly in their readers faces with a reference to intelligence agencies. Turns out it was all a bunch of bullshit too.
“Obvious” is debatable. Hardly anyone watching scientific content of any kind is an expert in the subject matter. What the public has always relied on is some sort of authority figure lending credibility to some idea or news story. For instance, saying masks don’t work is “obvious” bullshit. But remember back in March? Our glorious leaders were urging us not to buy masks because they don’t work, and besides, doctors need them. Even though they don’t work. And to have argued differently at the time was “misinformation.”
Now we’re trusting Facebook, Twitter, and Google to be the authority from which all truth flows.