We know that wearing a mask outside health care facilities offers little, if any, protection from infection... "It is also clear that masks serve symbolic roles. Masks are not only tools, they are also talismans that may help increase health care workers’ perceived sense of safety, well-being, and trust in their hospitals. "
And cloth masks are even less effective https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4420971/?fbclid=IwAR1xBSypYCVXHlTXlCLQumiOciiWL6qchK0mK-OXv3AyITOPtFmNtoB9iPo and may in fact INCREASE your odds of infection by slowing air exchange.
And yet another: https://aapsonline.org/mask-facts/?fbclid=IwAR0VpDD0wrEL1NDPZ-6GmDmz2jq7YUtEVdLo2cAh2y8WJC1oxcHGX07NqR0 Conclusion: Wearing masks will not reduce SARS-CoV-2.
Here's more on slower air exchange, which causes sufficient O2 deprivation to be on par with COPD (90% saturation)
Even the CDC only goes as far as "may" help. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html?fbclid=IwAR0yNIMS0IlJPRdLLnQDIdcYQ1T_9G4UAhBdquw52uYfsw9KSr4JMMdg-Nc#recent-studies then you look at their sources and see that one says you need at least two layers, another says you don't, yet another is not peer reviewed and only mentions "droplets," but not PARTICLES. Yet another "simulated" infected people (couldn't they find enough actual COVID patients?). Just like every other pro-mask statement, they all admit, "Well, it couldn't hurt." But no one has ANY evidence that it actually does anything, and again, the complete lack of any standards whatsoever means it's cosplay.
One elsewhere used a smoke machine, with azeotropic droplets as simulation. Only about a million times larger than a virus.
Masks and respirators do not work. There have been extensive randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies, and meta-analysis reviews of RCT studies, which all show that masks and respirators do not work to prevent respiratory influenza-like illnesses, or respiratory illnesses believed to be transmitted by droplets and aerosol particles.
Furthermore, the relevant known physics and biology, which I review, are such that masks and respirators should not work. It would be a paradox if masks and respirators worked, given what we know about viral respiratory diseases: The main transmission path is long-residence-time aerosol particles (< 2.5 μm), which are too fine to be blocked, and the minimum-infective-dose is smaller than one aerosol particle.
The present paper about masks illustrates the degree to which governments, the mainstream media, and institutional propagandists can decide to operate in a science vacuum, or select only incomplete science that serves their interests. Such recklessness is also certainly the case with the current global lockdown of over 1 billion people, an unprecedented experiment in medical and political history.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/741245_1 If you don't have one particular type of N95, it's a complete waste of time. If you have that one particular type, it's only partially a waste of time.
And a Canadian scientist posted this: https://twitter.com/dockaurG/status/1277958552657825792/photo/1
This article claims they help, https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/06/417906/still-confused-about-masks-heres-science-behind-how-face-masks-prevent?fbclid=IwAR2xIurtHhNzopEbTKQqVH_T_vpZ_q4XEq_6jvl-RWzNTpZJg6r4m-6hF-I
but let's deconstruct it:
Part 1: "compared the COVID-19 growth rate before and after mask mandates in 15 states and the District of Columbia. It found that mask mandates led to a slowdown in daily COVID-19 growth rate, which became more apparent over time."
Please explain how they accounted for population density, movement methods, all the other various mandated lockdowns that varied by state, city, and business. I'll wait.
Part 2: "The first five days after a mandate, the daily growth rate slowed by 0.9 percentage-points compared to the five days prior to the mandate; at three weeks, the daily growth rate had slowed by 2 percentage-points."
But herd immunity REQUIRES transmission. So if you're spreading it slower, and not achieving herd immunity, at what point do the curves cross and you're causing MORE infections than if the disease died out faster? This is YOUR field, doc, so please answer the question. Oh, you don't have an answer?
PART BOTH: Are you seriously claiming that with all variables accounted for you can RELIABLY claim .9% and 2% are outside your margin of error?
BTW, even their .9% claim is destroyed by actual statistical analysis.
"Another study looked at coronavirus deaths across 198 countries and found that those with cultural norms or government policies favoring mask-wearing had lower death rates."
Once again: Population density, social norms for touching, other health factors affecting general immunity, UV influx and other climate effects. You accounted for all those, yes? Yes?
"Stops particles as small as" FOUR ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE BIGGER THAN A VIRUS.
So, it's as effective as a chain link fence is against black flies.
"Even now, some Americans are choosing to ignore CDC guidance and local mandates on masks, a hesitation that Chin-Hong says is “foolhardy.”"
"Some"? At least 70% around here. And at no point does he mention herd immunity. So, either eventually everyone gets it anyway, in which case you're possibly slowing WHEN you get it, but not changing the fact that you will, OR, he's expecting the virus to magically go away. He offers no mechanism for this (though there are some). He just leaves the question complete unasked and unanswered.
Two compelling case reports also suggest that masks can prevent transmission in high-risk scenarios, said Chin-Hong and Rutherford. In one case, a man flew from China to Toronto and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19. He had a dry cough and wore a mask on the flight, and all 25 people closest to him on the flight tested negative for COVID-19. In another case, in late May, two hair stylists in Missouri had close contact with 140 clients while sick with COVID-19. Everyone wore a mask and none of the clients tested positive.
So, two anecdotes. Do you have even 50 more?
Especially since the tests are massively prone to false positives and negatives, and they're now finding both T cell and antibody factors in resistance, and that about 40-80% of cases are asymptomatic. So it's entirely possible people were "infected" but not affected in any fashion. Or maybe they weren't infected. But you have two cherry-picked examples that tell us nothing.
"“I think there’s enough evidence to say that the best benefit is for people who have COVID-19 to protect them from giving COVID-19 (sic) to other people, but you’re still going to get a benefit from wearing a mask if you don’t have COVID-19,” said Chin-Hong."
"Evidence"? You keep using that word...
"Masks may be more effective as a “source control” because they can prevent larger expelled droplets from evaporating into smaller droplets that can travel farther."
"May be." So, you have some evidence to support that possibility? This is science.
"Another factor to remember, noted Rutherford, is that you could still catch the virus through the membranes in your eyes, a risk that masking does not eliminate."
HAH! That's why I always wear a pair of the shooter glasses I got issued when I deployed! We should require everyone wear at minimum a face mask AND glasses, or better yet, a military respirator!
"The latest forecast from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation suggests that 33,000 deaths could be avoided by October 1 if 95 percent of people wore masks in public."
Okay...but...when do we get herd immunity, so those deaths don't just occur in Nov-March? You know, the worst time of year for respiratory viruses?
Also, at 30% mask wearing, that means you're getting fuck all.
But we might actually achieve herd immunity and deaths will drop to near zero.
Assuming the masks were actually stopping the virus, which nothing indicates is happening.
"Studies have compared various mask materials, but for the general public, the most important consideration may be comfort. The best mask is one you can wear comfortably and consistently, said Chin-Hong. N95 respirators are only necessary in medical situations such as intubation. Surgical masks are generally more protective than cloth masks, and some people find them lighter and more comfortable to wear."
TRANSLATION: "As long as it's comfortable, it doesn't matter if it works. They'll feel like they're doing something."
And N95 respirators DO NOT stop exhalation, they only filter INHALATION. So those won't do anything. The Mayo Clinic references that in THEIR pro-mask propaganda. So you're not even being consistent.
Especially masks made here: https://www.facebook.com/blueactionfigure/videos/10219286417965098/
By the way, the CDC "approved" masks keep failing FDA certifications. And if your mask isn't even CDC approved, then even by those lax standards it's worthless. So it's a worthless copy of something worthless.
They don't do anything.
Any requirement for a mask in a work environment specifies the type of mask, sometimes the tested brands, the requirements to be met. No clinic, contractor, or company anywhere says, "Just wear anything over your face, it's all good." Really, are you gullible enough to think that there's no difference between coverings? That something that filters down to 100 microns (which is still hundreds of times larger than the COVID virus) is the same as something that filters 0.1 mm?
When I go shooting, I recommend people wear 28dB or better reduction earmuffs. I don't say, "Oh, a scarf is fine. It all helps, because science." Because a scarf over the ears won't do anything. Nor does cotton stuffed in the ears, or any other improvisation. Around jet aircraft, there's a specified combination of plugs and muffs. No airline or military says, "Just fold your hat flap down. It will offer some protection against 170dB noise."
Military commanders don't say, "If you don't have body armor, just wear your poncho. It'll help a little against bullets."
Because this meets the legal standard everywhere a "face covering" is required:
Go ahead. I want someone to defend Hanes underwear over the head as worthwhile against The Covids. (The Cooties?)
And just as an add-on:
Closures of schools and day-care centres have little effect on coronavirus cases diagnosed among children and young people
Coronavirii were first identified in the early 1960s. In 60 years, we've not developed a vaccine. There's no reason to expect one in the next few months. And of course, Fauci was predicting an AIDS vaccine in a "few months" in 1984. How's that working out? He also claimed it was spread via casual contact, and 10% of heterosexuals would get it, which should make it clear he's an ignoranus (sic) and should be ignored.
They're racist and classist. Here's yet another scientific paper:
"No direct evidence indicates that public mask wearing protects either the wearer or others. Given the severity of this pandemic and the difficulty of control, we suggest that the possible benefit of a modest reduction in transmission likely outweighs the possibility of harm. Reduced outward transmission and reduced contamination of the environment are the major proposed mechanisms, and we suggest appealing to altruism and the need to protect others. We recognize the potential for unintended consequences, such as use of formal personal protective equipment by the general public, incorrect use of cloth masks, or reduced hand hygiene because of a false sense of security; these can be mitigated by controlling the distribution of personal protective equipment, clear messaging, public education, and social pressure. Advocating that the public make and wear cloth masks shifts the cost of a public health intervention from society to the individual. In low-resource areas and for persons living in poverty, this is unacceptable."
So the virtue signal summary is: "It doesn't do anything, but do it anyway just in case. Oh, and buy them for poor people."
If they did anything, they'd hinder herd immunity, which, barring a magic vaccine, is the only immunity we're going to get. And because we haven't developed a coronavirus vaccine since we discovered coronavirii in the early 1960s, there's no reason to expect one in the next few months. Yes, yes, "Dr" Fauci said so. He also said AIDS could be transmitted by shaking hands (which took an entire ad campaign to stop the resultant homophobia), that 10% of heterosexuals would get it, and we'd have a vaccine in 18 months...from 1984. Do we want to keep listening to a charlatan?
Either way, if you believe a mask makes any difference, for the fastest herd immunity and GREATER GOOD, you should not wear one.
See all those people wearing the mask under their nose, under their chin? Of course you do, because that's you. Useless. And mask used more than two hours, or washed more than 20 times is useless (that's from the first round of studies linked above. Even the mask proponents admit they're nonfunctional. Which is why I refer to it as a fetish).
https://news.yahoo.com/turn-off-air-conditioning-experts-095902933.html And if you believe the "Science" of masks being effective, you must also turn off your AC to reduce the spread. Go ahead. I'll wait. (BTW, the article, and apparently the research, are ludicrously technically incorrect and decades out of date. Almost all extant commercial AC has both outside air intake/exhaust, good filtering, even HEPA filters that CA stop some virii, and frequently UV sterilization as well, that kill virii dead.)
If masks work, then used ones are all potentially HAZMAT. Where are the biohazard disposal bags? We're just tossing virus-contaminated masks and gloves in the trash or on the ground? If they're not HAZMAT, then you're admitting they don't work.
Over 200 BILLION masks are being trashed every month. The ecosystem is being destroyed by garbage that didn't do anything when in use anyway. This alone is sufficient reason to make wearing masks illegal. https://www.greenmatters.com/p/face-masks-gloves-litter-coronavirus Remember when you complained about plastic straws? Apparently it's A-OK to contaminate the environment now that YOU want an item, rather than children wanting an item.
As far as wearing a mask for other people, there are more reasons not to do that. There are people who are hard of hearing or who have auditory processing disorders. They have to be able to see your lips to understand you. You're engaging in ableism. Interestingly, "tolerant" "liberals" will suddenly snicker that it isn't really ableism when they do it, because such things are a myth, even though I frequently have people at panels ask the presenters to move hands away from their faces for this exact reason. Once again, the "liberals" pick and choose which criteria fit their narrative.
In addition, non-verbal cues and expressions aid communication. In this case, a mask can be ableism against autism spectrum people especially, who mentally process differently from neurotypical people.
Children rarely contract the disease and are not generally spreaders. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200710100934.htm?fbclid=IwAR2IINWUMnHOqCCSL4Ts1OyGW_WY92GOM7SSmHvncf-XubB_eTTiS8ZNfWQ "A commentary published in the journal Pediatrics concludes that children infrequently transmit COVID-19 to each other or to adults."
Masks enable increase in contact crime. "What did he look like?" "Well, his mask was black." So were his hoodie and shades.
They dehumanize you, too. You'll find people being less sympathetic, angry people being less likely to back down. If they can't see your face and expression, they can't gauge your reaction. Violence has already increased. On the counter side, there's been multiple attacks including a shooting death of people not wearing masks. This is what we've come to.
It will make child molesters' jobs easy. Swap out the kid's mask, say they're throwing a tantrum, walk out the door.
"She's wearing a yellow mask with blue butterflies."
"No, there was a kid throwing a tantrum in a black mask."
"What did she look like?"
"Well, she had a black mask..."
Locally, doctors are reporting cooks and other workers having disorientation and consciousness difficulty and getting burned, because they can't breathe. (I hope you understand that slowing down air exchange can cause difficulty breathing while not actually doing anything to stop virii. But that's probably beyond most people's intellect.)
Masks cause serious health issues for asthmatics. After a few seconds, some of us are coughing and gasping for air, and bystanders will think we're actually dying of the Covids. Given that there have been multiple reports of physical attacks and even some murders over masks and symptoms, your demand that everyone wear a face panty is endangering people's lives.
And in Texas, construction workers are ordered to wear them at 110 degrees, and athletes to wear them while competing. I'm betting $1000 no one wearing a mask sets a record or beats someone who isn't. Even money that several of them black out.
You're causing psychological damage to children who'll be afraid of the very air they breathe. I've seen kids in a panic because their mask got dislodged. ZOMG! Natural air!
There are zero reasons to wear a mask. But of course, your opinion provider of choice has told you to follow the "Science" that creates a mental struggle for you against the facts posted above. Because you want to "believe" the "Science," rather than the actual facts of actual science.
Wearing a mask is selfish, ableist, anti-environmental, anti-science, and harmful.
Evolution developed the human brain to analyze and solve problems. It's time you started using yours.