LETTER: Victor Joecks missing the boat on science, masks

For some reason, the Review-Journal’s Victor Joecks continues not to understand that, simply, things change, including science (May 19 column). Why is it so important for him to attempt to point out how public servants have changed their thoughts about how to make us safer from COVID-19? Instead of applauding the efforts of our scientists to get us past this pandemic, he searches for ways to degrade their contributions.

Science helps us discover, examine, understand and use what we are and the world around us. Some science can change with greater knowledge.

The science around COVID and its variants has changed because of greater knowledge, as have our policies to save lives. Wearing a mask was a scientific guideline because scientific knowledge was indicating doing so could help save lives. Being vaccinated may eliminate the need for wearing masks. Science has made this happen.

What is so embarrassing for Mr. Joecks is his continued defense of some of the “red” state policies toward whether to wear a mask or not. On March 3 President Joe Biden said that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was thinking as a Neanderthal because he was ending the state’s mask mandate. Oh, how proud Mr. Joecks is to pronounce that on May 16 Texas had the fewest cases and no deaths in more than a year. So, a big “oops” to Mr. Biden, Anthony Fauci and Rochelle Walensky.

But did Mr. Joecks know that by March 3 there were 46,653 deaths in Texas and unfortunately by May 16 there were 49,998 deaths. In a little more than two months there were 3,000 more deaths. True, not all of those deaths could have been prevented by mask wearing. But, according to science, a high percentage could have been saved. Try saying “oops” to the relatives and friends of the deceased.

At no point did any of our scientists say they were impervious to error. Quite the opposite, because they know better and until something is proven, it is subject to change. It is too bad Mr. Joecks fails to comprehend this when pointing to the failure of others and their attempts to save our lives.