What Were the Best and Worst COVID Stories of 2022?

Year three of the never ending COVID pandemic contained a significant amount of progress, and a few ridiculous steps backward.

While many jurisdictions and politicians were forced to admit that masks don't work and vaccine mandates are offensive and pointless, some others doubled down.

There were many possibilities for the best and worst COVID stories of 2022, but after narrowing it down, only a few made the list.

Best COVID Stories of 2022

5. CDC DIRECTOR ADMITS COVID RESPONSE MISHANDLED

Outside of Anthony Fauci, no one individual or organization caused more damage during the pandemic than the CDC.

Its recommendations, beyond being useless, harmed huge numbers of people, especially children. The CDC pushed for endless, pointless masking and misrepresented vaccine efficacy, among many other mistakes.

The consistent, persistent incompetence proved disastrous and led to immense harms.

So it was gratifying to see the director finally admit to a least a portion of the unending failures, by saying that COVID response was mishandled.

It was the bare minimum of apologies, but you have to start somewhere.

4. NEW ZEALAND ENDS MOST COVID MANDATES IN ADMISSION THEY DON’T REALLY WORK

One of the most pernicious political strategies during the pandemic was "zero COVID."

Borne out of a delusional, inaccurate belief that COVID could be permanently controlled, it led to governments becoming increasingly totalitarian.

New Zealand was among the worst offenders, with a repressive, authoritarian approach that was horrifying to witness.

Finally, after mandates failed to control the spread of the virus, they admitted defeat in 2022.

They still haven't, and likely never will, apologize. But their tacit acknowledgement and retreat was still thrilling.

3. LOS ANGELES HOSPITAL ADMITS ONLY 10% OF COVID PATIENTS THERE FOR COVID

Seemingly endless restrictions have frequently been justified based on the potential impact from COVID on hospitals.

Despite the lack of efficacy, mask mandates, vaccine passports and other restrictions were always excused because it would reduce strain on hospitals.

Except one story destroyed much of that narrative.

At one Los Angeles hospital, administrators admitted that just 10% of people there that tested positive for COVID were actually there for COVID.

If COVID isn't actually causing illness, there's no justification for continued mandates, no matter how ineffective.

2. PFIZER ADMITS IT HAD NO IDEA IF MRNA VACCINE WOULD PREVENT TRANSMISSION

Vaccine passports and mandates exploded in popularity in 2021.

Generally, those policies were based on inaccurate assumptions that the vaccines would prevent infection or onward transmission.

Fauci, the CDC and other health authorities influenced those decisions by making public comments saying the vaccines were nearly 100% effective.

But even Pfizer had to admit in 2022 that it was entirely uncertain if the vaccines would prevent transmission. Mandates continued regardless.

BEST COVID STORY OF THE YEAR: WASHINGTON POST ADMITS THAT VACCINATED PEOPLE MAKE UP MAJORITY OF COVID DEATHS

Another inconvenient admission came from the Washington Post, where they made a surprising admission about vaccinated individuals.

Far from the "pandemic of the unvaccinated" messaging from Biden and others, the majority of recent COVID deaths were vaccinated people.

After years of denigrating the "unvaccinated" for refusing to comply with mandates, this was a huge acknowledgement.

Of course, all of those who created and perpetrated he unfair blame game are yet to apologize for playing a disastrous role.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 17: Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci testifies during the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2023 for the National Institutes of Health on Capitol Hill on May 17, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Shawn Thew-Pool/Getty Images)

Worst COVID Stories of 2022

5. UNBELIEVABLY, LOS ANGELES RECOMMENDS RESIDENTS RETURN TO WEARING MASKS

The refusal to give up on masking has gotten increasingly absurd as more people acknowledge they don't work.

But Los Angeles specializes in the absurd, so it's unsurprising the city recommended residents return to masking in 2022.

When you have a chance to keep doing what you know doesn't work, you have to take it, right?

4. NOTRE DAME MANDATING NEW BOOSTERS, COMMITTED TO IGNORING SCIENCE

Evidence accumulated in 2022 that the new, Omicron specific boosters were not nearly as effective as initially claimed.

More evidence also accumulated that the risk-benefit breakdown on boosters for younger people was likely not positive.

Despite that, elite universities like Notre Dame continued booster mandates, in defiance of science.

Inexcusable, and potentially dangerous. Sums up COVID policies perfectly.

3. NONSENSICAL STUDY CLAIMS SCHOOL MASKING CAN STOP RACISM

Mask fanatics grew increasingly desperate to justify continued school masking in 2022.

Perhaps the most absurd result of their ridiculous obsession was a study claiming that masks could stop racism in schools.

The abandonment of critical thinking, logic and evidence based decision making might be best exemplified by "studies" like this.

Unfortunately, they show no sign of letting up anytime soon.

2. GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK SAYS PARENTS SHOULD KEEP MASKS ON KIDS

A confusing part of pro-masking politicians is their apparent hatred of children.

Masks are useless on adults, but even more so on children. Kids are unable to use them "properly," and they contribute to learning loss and educational setbacks.

But that didn't stop New York Governor Kathy Hochul from saying parents should keep pointlessly masking their children.

Her religious devotion to pseudoscience will continue to cause immense harm. Yet New York voters elected her anyway.

WORST COVID STORY OF THE YEAR: UNITED STATES EXTENDS PROOF OF VACCINATION REQUIREMENT INTO 2023

The fact that the United States government is so fundamentally opposed to science is inexcusable. Proof of vaccination requirements to enter the country is an offensive farce, that has already been abandoned across most of the world.

The Biden Administration continuing this historic embarrassment is inexcusable. Yet that's exactly what it did.

Appealing to a base of misinformed COVID fanatics was more important than following the evidence that vaccinated people are just as likely to spread COVID as the "unvaccinated."

It's yet another devastating admission that those in charge have absolutely no idea what they're doing.

So there you have it.

The best and worst of COVID in 2022. Given that the presidency remains in the hands of a rapidly aging COVID fanatic, there will almost certainly be more absurdity coming in 2023.

"15 days to slow the spread" has turned into a semi-permanent, rolling set of ineffective policies.

"Experts" and politicians can't admit they were wrong, so we're forced to protect their egos indefinitely.