2+ years in: Are Masks Worth It?
Updated: Feb 23, 2022
And once again... masks are starting to resurface.
Quite honestly. If you WANT to wear one, have at it.
But don't ENFORCE/MANDATE/REQUIRE it.
It's NOT supported by SCIENCE.
Let alone, logical thought and basic understanding of physiology, virology, and immunology.
References and Resources
Physical inactivity is associated with a higher risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes: a study in 48 440 adult patients
HTTPS://BJSM.BMJ.COM/CONTENT/EARLY/2021/04/07/BJSPORTS-2021-104080
Masks Are Neither Effective Nor Safe: A Summary Of The Science
^^^ A great start to many of your questions and assumptions.
All you Need
https://themodelhealthshow.com/maskfacts
CALL TO ACTION https://standforhealthfreedom.com/action/act-now-mandatory-masks-endanger-your-health/
Masks are Tools for Discrimination
https://standforhealthfreedom.com/blog/about-face/
Masks are Ineffective and Risky, So Stop Calling Us Selfish
In Epidemics 2017, a meta-analysis concluded that masks had a non-significant protective effect. There is a lack of real scientific evidence that cloth and surgical masks are too effective in reducing the risk of SARS-CoV2 transmission.
According to a University of New South Wales, the widespread use of masks by healthcare workers may put them at increased risk of respiratory illness and viral infections, and their global use should be discouraged.
In the British Medical Journal 2015, “Over three times, the risk of contracting influenza-like illness if a cloth mask is used versus no mask at all.” Contaminated masks and masks holding moisture and pathogen retention can increase the risk of infection.
A 2016 study in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology found 97% of particles penetrated cloth masks, and 44% of particles penetrated medical masks. They reported that cloth masks are only marginally beneficial in protecting individuals from particles less than 2.5 micrometers. As referenced in the New England Journal of Medicine, the size of Coronavirus particles varied between 0.06 micrometers and 0.14 micrometers.
Cloth and surgical masks do not have a fit test. When worn, gaps around the edges allow small particles to enter the respiratory system. Also, according to the May 2010 edition of PLoS One, lack of eye protection was a primary risk factor of SARS-CoV transmission.
Wearing a mask for seven hours straight may not be safe. Carbon dioxide (CO2) rebreathing has been recognized as a concern in the Ergonomics Journal. The CDC has also admitted that the CO2 slowly builds up in the mask over time. This build-up can cause a condition called Hypercapnia. Essentially, CO2 poisoning - can cause mild symptoms of drowsiness or a headache. More severe symptoms can cause shortness of breath and even death. On May 6th, 2020, the New York Post reported the death of two boys dying within a week of each other while wearing a face mask during gym class.
In February, the CDC said they don’t recommend people use face masks. The World Health Organization also advised people to wear a mask only if they are displaying symptoms of Coronavirus or “taking care of a person with a suspected 2019-nCoV infection.”
There is zero scientific evidence that wearing a mask, especially for more extended periods, protects us. However, several studies found significant problems with wearing one. Side-effects range from headaches to increased airway resistance, carbon dioxide accumulation, hypoxia, to more severe complications.
In the Head and Neck Pain Journal, most healthcare workers develop de novo PPE‐associated headaches or exacerbation of their pre‐existing headache disorders.
When a person is infected with a respiratory virus, they will expel some of the virus with each breath. Wearing a mask creates a situation in which the individual continually breathes back in their viruses—breathing viruses back in raises the concentration of the virus in the lungs and nasal passages. It has been studied that those with a higher number of viral particles can develop a more severe illness. A recent study out of China published in the Lancet Journal reported a strong association between Covid19 disease severity and the amount of virus present in the nose.
The Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control Journal demonstrated, “Breathing through N95 mask materials have been shown to impede gaseous exchange and impose an additional workload on the metabolic system of pregnant healthcare workers. The benefits of using an N95 mask to prevent serious emerging infectious diseases should be weighed against potential respiratory consequences associated with extended N95 respirator usage.
Wearing a mask could put you at a greater risk of getting Covid19. Regular cloth or surgical masks, irritate the user, causing the user to touch their face with dirty hands more often. Also, the Coronavirus spreads in droplets, which most masks do not block. These masks can actually trap droplets inside, increasing risk instead of reducing it.
Masks also hamper oxygen intake; the body and the immune system require optimal levels of oxygen to feed cells and fight off illness, including Covid19. When studied, surgeons who wore surgical masks had a decrease in blood O2 saturation and an increase in pulse rates of the surgeons after the operations due to surgical mask usage.
According to the Journal of Biomedicines, our oxygen concentration is closely associated with cell survival and immune functioning, making one more susceptible to illness.
Masks can cause difficulty and labored breathing – even in a healthy individual. Blocking air even partially puts excess stress on thoracic muscles and the diaphragm, causing a person to feel out of breath. Wearing a mask can also make a person feel anxiety and panic. Claustrophobia and a feeling of suffocation must be acknowledged, especially among individuals who have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other mental health issues.
So, in summary, mask-wearing can be dangerous and is shown over and over again to be ineffective. It appears masks are more effective in helping to spread illness, by providing a surface for viruses to collect on, like carrying a petri dish in front of your face. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, if wearing a mask poses a mental or physical risk, there are exemptions. So please don’t mandate them to attend school, and please don’t teach the masses to hate and shame those that do not comply. This conditioning leads people to be more willing to follow irrational orders and do things without questioning authority, or logic, in the future. When there is a risk, there should always be a choice.
Thanks to:
Facemasks in the COVID-19 era: A health hypothesis
Baruch Vainshelboim * Cardiology Division, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System/Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States
Great overview!
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7680614/pdf/main.pdf
Efficacy of cloth face mask in prevention of novel coronavirus infection transmission: A systematic review and meta-analysis
RESULTS: Cloth face masks show minimum efficacy in source control than the medical grade mask. The efficacy of cloth face masks filtration varies and depends on the type of material used, number of layers, and degree of moisture in mask and fitting of mask on face.
CONCLUSION: Cloth face masks have limited efficacy in combating viral infection transmission. However, it may be used in closed, crowded indoor, and outdoor public spaces involving physical proximity to prevent spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7497125/
Is a Mask That Covers the Mouth and Nose Free from Undesirable Side Effects in Everyday Use and Free of Potential Hazards?