Paul Tambyah: Lifting Mask Mandate Does Not Affect COVID-19 XBB Infection Numbers, Govt Should Not Reinstate Mask Mandate
Giving an expert opinion, means that you are supposed to be the subject matter expert in that particular area. However, it was rather shocking that the world renowned infectious disease expert Dr Paul Tambyah gave his piece of expert advice during an interview with CNA (Channel NewsAsia) yesterday (18th Oct).
Paul Tambyah the Expert
According to Paul Tambyah, who also happens to be the president of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection, the Singapore Government’s lifting of the mask mandate has NOT dramatically increased the number of people infected with the COVID-19 XBB strain.
More specifically, Paul Tambyah said:
“I sincerely hope that the Government does not reinstate the mask mandate. We know for a fact that lifting the mask mandate had no impact on case numbers,”
It does not take a genius to work out the illogical part of that statement made by Paul Tambyah. It comes as no surprise that COVID cases have been rising rapidly (11,934 new cases as of 18th Oct), after the lifting of the mask mandate. This situation has been worsened by the coming of a new strain of COVID, dubbed the XBB, of which the severity of the symptoms have yet to be established.
Irresponsible Much?
Yet, Paul Tambyah has chosen to make a statement that is both illogical, and irresponsible. Not only is Paul Tambyah saying that rising COVID numbers have nothing to do with not wearing masks, he is asking people not to wear masks in the middle of the new XBB wave of infections, and he is asking the Government not to force people to wear masks too.
Some of us would remember, when Paul Tambyah was consulted for his “expert advice” by CNA during a live interview in 2020, about his take on the Wuhan Coronavirus (as it was called back then). It was during this interview, that Paul Tambyah said:
“I am very confident that the virus will disappear in May (2020).. the reason is because when the warm weather kicks in, a lot of these viruses like SARS will disappear”
Well, time ultimately proved the world renowned expert wrong, as the Coronavirus ravaged the world, and decimated Singapore.
Can we really still trust the opinion of an expert these days? Or has the standard for being an expert been dropped so low, that they are able to just say things without taking responsibility? Or is Paul Tambyah simply pushing for whatever will make him popular at the expense of the health and safety of Singaporeans?
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