by Dr. Eric Snyder and Dr. Amy Cerato
It is difficult to even start writing this chapter as the topic of “masking” has divided friends, families, business owners, church congregations, schools and those who represent us in government. To be candid, this entire worldwide Covid-19 event has divided all of us and by simply writing these chapters, we will be stereotyped. It is important though to remind the reader that a stereotype is just a cognitive regression equation (what a sweet t-shirt that would be), and that we are pro human intuition. The fact that we did use the word “event” instead of “pandemic” has already resulted in a few readers exiting the screen. While we are disappointed to see those individuals go, we recognize that when conducting critical research, language use is momentous. We also understand that a multivariate approach will delve a bit deeper into the narrative.
The previous two chapters covered death rates, infection fatality rates, death certificates, coding, inflation, and incentives. Each of the chapters are a piece of the puzzle and while a singular puzzle piece may be essential, it will not complete a puzzle with multiple pieces remaining. That is why it remains imperative for each of the you to finish all chapters before drawing conclusions about not only the authors, but the narrative. A choice of masking at this point could be advantageous for our social stabilization as the powers to be recognize the power of human psych. Let’s be clear, we said “choice” and “could be advantageous for our social stabilization.” Our personal opinions regarding the impact of masks on preventing Covid-19, on our mental health, our children, for acne prevention, for bad breath distribution or relationship building (do individuals kiss with masks on?), matters none. We just want to discuss the science and how we are now almost two years into this mess, and we haven’t moved the needle.
The remainder of this chapter includes background research and commentary, a timeline of mask communication from primarily the CDC, Surgeon General and Dr. Fauci, and will conclude with a video and links to studies that should provide additional perspective, especially as leaders all across the United States continue to grapple with policy decisions. As we stated early within our intro. We are not putting this information together for fame or fortune and we want to give credit to those whose work we analyze, check for accuracy, and share. For the timeline section below, a special thanks should be given to Riley Waggaman (who we have never met or spoken with), as reading Riley’s initial article in RT resulted in the creation of a more comprehensive timeline and an amalgamation of additional research that needs to be considered when reviewing the literature.
Background Research
Martin Kulldorff, a professor at Harvard Medical School who studies infectious diseases, recently observed that the way we’re treating the spread of COVID-19 is unique compared to other pandemics throughout human history.
“For thousands of years, disease pathogens have spread from person to person. Never before have carriers been blamed for infecting the next sick person,” Kulldorff noted on Twitter. “That is a very dangerous ideology.”
The question of whether masks actually prevent spread from person to person has exacerbated this dangerous ideology as we pit the mask vs the unmasked against each other. A statement like “Many Europeans without mask mandates have far lower COVID mortality rates than the US” can result in anger from friends and foes alike depending on where they stand on the political spectrum. It does not matter whether the statement is factual, it matters whether the statement fits the individual’s narrative. This is why we all need to understand the best part of being an American is that in the United States, the ability to provide an alternative narrative is protected by fellow Americans. You see, a right (even an inalienable one) can be protected by enumeration in the Constitution, but all of us actually have to be willing to respect that right with each other. Otherwise, we return to the concentration camps of Nazi, Germany or the Gulag…all of which are prime examples of how human behavior can quickly turn malevolent.
As Ayn Rand once observed “Collectivism holds that man must be chained to collective action and collective thought for the sake of what is called ‘the common good.’ In the United States we have shifted to a “common good” narrative that is trending towards a “common bad” outcome. The common good now means, using any means necessary to pressure individuals to wear a mask. An article by Michael Lee provided evidence of a public school kicking out an 11 year old girl for refusing to wear a mask in a non-air conditioned classroom in New York. A student at Oklahoma State University writes an opinion piece on masking and loses her editorship. Do administrators and policy makers ignore certain information like the 239 scientists that signed a letter to the WHO to let them know small infectious particles can bypass masks? Is their mindset rooted in science or compliance?
When determining whether to wear a mask or not, one should start by knowing the science behind particle size, and the size of filter openings within the masking materials. A COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) particle is 0.125 micrometers/microns (μm). In comparison, influenza virus size is 0.08 – 0.12 μm; and a human hair is about 150 μm.
- *1 nm = 0.001 micron; 1000 nm = 1 micron; Micrometer (μm) is the preferred name for micron
- *1 meter is = 1,000,000,000 [billion] nm or 1,000,000 [million] microns
*For a complete dissection and explanation of aerosols and airborne particles, please see Understanding Particle Size and Aerosol-based Transmission by Steve Probst.
In regard to masking material opening sizes, home-made cloth masks of high-quality, high thread count cotton fabric keep out 70-79% particles larger than 0.3 µm when doubled. In fact, in several studies that you will read about below, all the cloth masks and materials had near zero efficiency at 0.3 µm, a particle size that easily penetrates into the lung (remember, SARS-CoV-2 is 0.125 µm). Surgical masks can filter out 60-80% of particles 0.3 μm, and N-95 masks can filter out at least 95% of particles as small as 0.3 μm. An N-95 mask is typically used on construction sites, for example, to cut down on inhaling blowing dust, chemical powders and silica. The use of these masks on a construction site is therefore valid to block larger particles, but we want to be clear with our readers; a Covid-19 particle that becomes airborne can penetrate or escape the mask due to its small size.
Looking more closely at virus particulate sizes, a May of 2020 study from the CDC on pandemic influenza (not Covid-19) found that face masks had no effect, as personal protective equipment or as a source control. The meta analysis pulled from 14 randomized controlled trials found that masks had no impact on rates of infection. We’ve included this study in the timeline portion of this chapter as it is important to consider the CDC’s own science as their conclusions differ tremendously from the European CDC and other nations. Why would the CDC tell Americans on April 4th, 2020 to put on cloth masks and then publish this scientific study a month later and not retract their public policy?
As New York magazine noted, numerous European nations have exempted students from mask mandates—including the UK, all of Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and even France and Italy—though with varying age cutoffs. The results have not been dire.
“Conspicuously, there’s no evidence of more outbreaks in schools in those countries relative to schools in the U.S., where the solid majority of kids wore masks for an entire academic year and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future,” wrote Zweig. “These countries, along with the World Health Organization, whose child-masking guidance differs substantially from the CDC’s recommendations, have explicitly recognized that the decision to mask students carries with it potential academic and social harms for children and may lack a clear benefit.” (emphasis added)
The European CDC has recommended that no one under the age of 12 wear a mask. Why? Could it be they are actually looking at the science as opposed to the numbers the media, pharmaceutical companies, lobbyists, and politicians spoon feed them? Could this be part of the reason why the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, published guidance below regarding masks for students under age 12:
“In primary schools, the use of face masks is recommended for teachers and other adults when physical distancing cannot be guaranteed, but it is not recommended for students. In secondary schools, the use of face masks is recommended for both students and adults (Masks for children >12 years) living in areas with community transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The use of masks should be seen as a complementary measure rather than a stand-alone measure to prevent transmission within schools.”
What is going on in the U.S. then? Why are we still requiring masks?
The WHO admitted to the BBC that its June 2020 mask policy update was due not to new evidence but “political lobbying”:
“We had been told by various sources WHO committee reviewing the evidence had not backed masks, but they recommended them due to political lobbying. This point was put to WHO who did not deny.” (D. Cohen, BBC Medical Correspondent).
In view of shortcomings of the WHO policy recommendation, University of Toronto epidemiology professor Peter Jueni decided to review the research and called the WHO study “methodologically flawed” and “essentially useless”. For comprehensive, peer reviewed research regarding masking consider the Swiss Policy Institute and their work which covers the topic extensively. The research and data continue to be updated monthly as we check for sources of information that we have not found in our pursuit of the truth. Consider the graph below that tracks implementation of mask mandates, comparing Bavaria vs Germany.
Another great resource is the work of Yinon Weiss and his graphing of mask mandates in the United States. Mr. Weiss has a Harvard MBA, Bioengineering degree from Berkeley and is an Army Special Forces Veteran. It is no surprise he was censored for the publications online, but this type of suppression is something all of us should stand against. The graph below displays the difference between North and South Dakota’s mitigation measures including masking and C19 cases. There are maps for most states, and most nations worldwide within this document.
If you would like to run data from the United States, consider downloading this dataset, collected by Brown University Professor Emily Oster. With 12 million data points, schools who wear masks are seeing a 37 percent increase in infections than optional masking schools. Yes, you read that correctly.
Not only do masks not statistically change the infection and transmission rates among a population, there is evidence they can be harmful; physically and mentally. There are psychological effects from masks. A recent article from the Washington Post states that:
“The possible psychological harm of widespread masking is an even greater worry. Facial expressions are integral to human connection, particularly for young children, who are only learning how to signal fear, confusion and happiness. Covering a child’s face mutes these nonverbal forms of communication and can result in robotic and emotionless interactions, anxiety and depression. Seeing people speak is a building block of phonetic development. It is especially important for children with disabilities such as hearing impairment.”
And last but not least, why do both public and private schools across the United States continue to follow the CDC recommendations regarding Covid-19 and masking? The truth is tied to the monetary benefits. Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds were allotted to create Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Programs and Governors Emergency Education Relief (GEER) programs. Funds from ESSER and GEER are then distributed to each state by the US Department of Education, with the understanding that a local educational agency (LEA) must address the extent to which the school has adopted policies and a description of any policies on each of the CDC’s recommendations, including mask wearing. According to the FAQ document school districts must continue to show compliance if they want to receive funds.
A few of the studies we have analyzed are included at the end of this chapter for your review. But what we find more important is looking at the timeline associated with mask policies in the United States over the past 21 months. This chapter concludes with a video that all should watch and as usual, some questions to consider asking elected officials, medical care providers, and school leaders; especially as leaders all across the United States continue to grapple with policy decisions.
Timeline on Mask Wearing
November 2004
The CDC publishes guidance on the role of masks in response to influenza spread.
The publication reveals “Masks are not usually recommended in non-health-care settings” and explains that “there is no apparent benefit from asymptomatic individuals wearing face coverings.”
In regard to Unvaccinated Asymptomatic Persons, Including Those at High Risk for Influenza Complications the CDC States: “No recommendation can be made at this time for mask use in the community by asymptomatic persons, including those at high risk for complications, to prevent exposure to influenza. If unvaccinated high-risk persons decide to wear masks during periods of increased respiratory illness activity in the community, it is likely they will need to wear them any time they are in a public place and when they are around other household members.”
When reading this report, please remember that the authors have yet to find evidence of “asymptomatic” spread in any academic literature.
April 2009
The CDC issues guidance for the use of face masks and respirators in areas where H1N1 ‘swine flu’ has been detected:
“In areas with confirmed human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection, the risk for infection can be reduced through a combination of actions. No single action will provide complete protection, but an approach combining the following steps can help decrease the likelihood of transmission. These actions include frequent handwashing, covering coughs, and having ill persons stay home, except to seek medical care, and minimize contact with others in the household. Additional measures that can limit transmission of a new influenza strain include voluntary home quarantine of members of households with confirmed or probable swine influenza cases, reduction of unnecessary social contacts, and avoidance whenever possible of crowded settings.”
Accordingly, the CDC found “Face coverings should only be used when caring for sick individuals or in other specific circumstances,” The document actually discloses that “relying” on masks for protection in crowded settings is ill-advised. The CDC maintains this position throughout the duration of the H1N1 pandemic. Why would the CDC maintain this position and then change course with the arrival of Covid-19?
February 5th, 2020
Dr. Fauci receives an email from Sylvia Burwell (former Health and Human Services Secretary under President Obama). This is when Covid-19 just starts to spread around the globe. The email is asking if she should wear a mask while traveling, as a precautionary measure. Dr. Fauci’s email response:
“The typical mask you buy in the drug store is not really effective in keeping out virus, which is small enough to pass through material. It might, however, provide some slight benefit in keep out gross droplets if someone coughs or sneezes on you.”
Dr. Fauci’s response aligns with the science that masking is not effective at keeping out the virus, especially given its particle size.
February 28th, 2020
CDC does not currently recommend the use of facemasks to help prevent novel #coronavirus,” the public health agency tweets.
February 29, 2020
As Americans begin to panic-buy masks, the US Surgeon General responds:
“Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS! They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus,” US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams tweet.
He adds that ordinary Americans should focus more on hand-washing and other sanitary measures and let healthcare workers wear the masks – advice in perfect coordination with the previous CDC guidance from 2004 and 2009. While the tweet was deleted at a later date, individuals had already saved the information online.
Why delete a tweet when Dr. Jerome Adams should be commended for providing the American people with accurate advice given the information is rooted in science?
March 3 2020
CDC does not recommend that people who are “well” wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. You should only wear a mask if a healthcare professional recommends it. A facemask should be used by people who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms. This is to protect others from the risk of getting infected. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers according to a February 21, 2020 document and other people who are taking care of someone infected with COVID-19 in close settings (at home or in a healthcare facility as updated on February 12, 2020).
March 8th, 2020
During an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” in March 2020, Fauci said that “masks are important for someone who’s infected to prevent them from infecting someone else.” But he added that face masks generally do not provide the “perfect protection” from getting infected “that people think” and so “there’s no reason to be walking around with a mask.”
When you look back you wonder how it is now November 12th, 2021 and individuals continue to wear masks. Especially given how few individuals would even leave their home with the most minor of cold symptoms.
March 24, 2020
At this point, most schools in the United States had already shut down. The OKC Thunder games had been cancelled. The CDC advice remained consistent. Healthy people who do not work in the healthcare sector and are not taking care of an infected person at home do not need to wear masks.
“Facemasks may be in short supply and they should be saved for caregivers,” the government agency says.
March 29th, 2020
Exactly one month from his previous tweet, Surgeon General Adams was back in action. Tweeting that his office has “consistently recommended against the general public wearing masks as there is scant or conflicting evidence that masks benefit individual wearers in a meaningful way.
March 29th, 2020
Dr. Anthony Fauci Interview with David Rubenstein on Bloomberg says that masks aren’t necessary. He says you should focus on something positive like a good diet, don’t smoke, get good sleep, and exercise (starting at 8:49 am in the interview).
April 2nd, 2020
The CDC’s FAQ page about Covid-19 reads: “CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including Covid-19. You should only wear a mask if a healthcare professional recommends it. A facemask should be used by people who have Covid-19 and are showing symptoms.”
These prior interviews and statements, the consistency of the message, were all so encouraging until April 3rd, 2020.
April 3, 2020
After insisting for weeks that healthy people did not need to wear masks in most circumstances, certain federal health officials begin to change their tune due the “growing body of evidence” that people who do not appear to be sick are playing an important role in the spread of the virus?
The LA Times article encourages individuals in public to wear cloth face masks. As a rebuttal we encourage individuals to read a study by Rengasamy, Elmer and Shaffer from 2010, where they scientifically looked at cloth mask filter efficiency. The results of the study were consistent with years of public policy that indicated masks were not significant for protection, especially those that were cloth. The filter efficiency was measured across a wide range of small particle sizes (0.02 to 1 µm) at 33 and 99 L/min. All the cloth masks and materials had near zero efficiency at 0.3 µm, a particle size that easily penetrates into the lungs (SARS-CoV-2 is 0.125 µm).
April 4, 2020
The CDC updates its FAQ page about Covid-19. In light of “new data” about how COVID-19 spreads, along with evidence of widespread COVID-19 illness in communities across the country, CDC recommends that people wear a cloth face covering to cover their nose and mouth in the community setting.
This guidance was an additional public health measure people should take to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in addition to (not instead of) social distancing, frequent hand cleaning and other everyday preventive actions.
What new data were the CDC referring to? What research studies were they using to justify this change?
May 2020
A review published by the CDC of 14 randomize control trials did not support a substantial effect on the transmission of laboratory confirmed influenza as disposable (like those we hand out in schools) masks had no effect, neither as personal protective equipment nor as a source control.
Again, why would the CDC publish this article in May of 2020 while encouraging Americans to wear cloth face coverings in April 2020? The science would not support the rationale, especially given the similarities in particle size between influenza and Covid-19.
June 12, 2020
Fauci later clarified in a June interview with TheStreet, that the concern for medical workers was a major factor in the early guidance for the public not to wear masks. But why wouldn’t Dr. Fauci discuss a change in research findings to support the rationale behind wearing a mask? At this point, we are four months into the event. During the interview Dr. Fauci states at the 2:33 minute mark that “you don’t need any N95 if you’re an ordinary person in the street” and we also know “simple cloth coverings can work as well as a mask in many cases.”
How is that possible? The research sited previously found explicitly that the disposable masks had “no effect as personal protective equipment nor as a source control.” We also know that cloth masks had near zero efficiency at 0.3 µm, a particle size that easily penetrates the mask.
Fauci added: “Secondly, we fully realized that there were a lot of people who were asymptomatic who were spreading infection. So, it became clear that we absolutely should be wearing masks consistently.”
But an article in the British Medical Journal notes that the whole debate about asymptomatic seems rather silly considering that PCR tests do not distinguish live virus and therefore cannot reliably identify “asymptomatic” individuals. “As things stand, a person who tests positive with any kind of test (PCR) may or may not have an active infection with live virus and may or may not be infectious. An additional study in Nature Magazine found that there were no positive tests among 1,174 close contacts of asymptomatic cases. Could that be because it is clinically impossible to prove “asymptomatic” cases?
July 14, 2020
The CDC publishes a report that finds masking to be a “likely contributing factor” for preventing two coronavirus-positive employees of a Missouri hair salon from infecting any of the 139 clients they served. “I think we’re being very clear now,” says Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC. “Now’s the time to wear a mask.” He added that the U.S. could get the COVID-19 pandemic under control in one or two months if every American wore a mask.
Two months or two years Dr. Redfield? After reading this report and being in awe of the science (sarcasm noted) behind its conclusions, we cannot believe Americans actually listened in any way, shape, or form. Tragically, the results of this report were used to inform public health policy. There were no control groups; there was no methodology. They use language like “likely” which is an assumption, not fact. It is hard to even grasp the level of linguistic deception. An entire paper could be written on the assumptions from this report alone.
July 17, 2020
Fauci interviews with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg and emphasizes the importance of masks. He says that cloth coverings “are adequate.” He is asked if there are “adverse effects” of the masks and indicates that he runs with a mask on and that nothing indicates that it has “deleterious effects.”
September 15, 2020
The CDC releases color-coded guidelines to help local communities think through when it is safe to open schools for in-person learning. Even among schools with the lowest risk of community transmission, masking remains an important part of the CDC’s guidelines for opening schools safely.
The agency recommends students and teachers wear masks whenever feasible. It also advises that schools spread out students’ desks, stagger their schedules, eat meals in classrooms instead of the cafeteria and add physical barriers between bathroom sinks.
Oct. 23, 2020
Scientists report that if 95% Americans wore face masks when they left their homes, they could save well over 100,000 lives — and perhaps more than half a million — through the end of February. “The potential life-saving benefit of increasing mask use in the coming fall and winter cannot be overstated,” wrote the team from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.
We want to be clear with our readers. The study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation was a “simulation” using a 33% probability of infection. Simulations are not real-life; zero humans were involved in this study.
Jan. 20, 2021
On his first day as president, Joe Biden signs an executive order requiring masking and physical distancing in federal buildings, on federal lands, and by government contractors. At this point, cases are increasing substantially all over the United States. Could that be, however, because of the use of invalid PCR tests? The 100-day mask challenge begins!
Jan. 21, 2021
Biden signs 10 executive orders aimed at jump-starting his national COVID-19 strategy — including one that requires Americans to mask up for travel. The new rule applies to airports and planes, ships, intercity buses, trains and public transportation. Remember in July when Dr. Redfield told Americans if we wore masks for two months we would have the pandemic under control?
January 25, 2021
Dr. Fauci is interviewed on CNBC and encourages wearing two masks. You really cannot make this up, and seeing it within the timeline provides prospective. Dr Facui states, “So, if you have a physical covering with one layer, you put another layer on, it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective,” he said. “That’s the reason why you see people either double masking or doing a version of an N95 [respirator].”
Jan. 30, 2021
Building on Biden’s executive order, the CDC issues an 11-page order requiring travelers on airplanes and those using public transportation such as buses and subways to wear face masks to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The order makes refusal to wear a mask a violation of federal law, enforceable by the Transportation Security Administration and other federal, state and local authorities. At this point, a large portion of the population are gaining access to Emergency Authorize Use vaccines.
February 10, 2021
The CDC publishes a report of its own revealing that two face masks or “double masking” – can reduce an individual’s exposure to cough particles. However, the agency notes that the findings do not mean that Americans should wear two disposable masks at the same time. Instead, the data points to why “wearing a well-fitting mask is so important.”
The study uses a simulation of a cough.
March 8, 2021
Now that 12% of Americans are fully vaccinated and ready to “return to normal” life. The CDC alters course allowing those who are fully vaccinated to gather indoors without masks with others who are vaccinated. What science supports this rationale? The fact that the pharmaceutical companies told everyone that the shot would “prevent” contraction of the virus? As of November 13th, we know with 100% certainty that we were lied to as breakthrough cases are soaring around the world.
May 14, 2021
To add fuel to the fire, Dr. Fauci continues to promote the vaccine and pits the vaccinated vs the unvaccinated in schools across the country as 119 million Americans had received full vaccination status. Dr. Fauci informs Americans that unvaccinated children still need to wear masks indoors while vaccinated do not need to wear masks indoors. Why would unvaccinated children need to wear masks while vaccinated children do not? What science was behind this public policy? Does the vaccine prevent transmission of a virus? No, it does not.
Here is a study from Korea published on October 11, 2021 that shows vaccinated individuals (in this study, health care workers) carried 251 times more viral load belonging to the Delta variant than the unvaccinated individuals tested with the alpha strains back in March/April 2020. A study out of University of Wisconsin similar results and also a direct correlation with the CDC report regarding out outbreak in Massachusetts.
“The predominant mode of transmission around here seems to be smaller gatherings and households,” says Friedrich, a study co-author and a professor in the UW School of Veterinary Medicine. “There’s nothing special about the particular circumstances, but we’re seeing vaccinated people can become infected. And when they do, they can pass the virus on to other people.”
In addition, those fully vaccinated individuals had low vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies. This may mean that the vaccinated healthcare workers are acting as spreaders, and that may be one of the reasons for so many breakthrough cases in highly vaccinated areas. There will be plenty more about these trends in forthcoming chapters.
May 2021
Why continue to require our children to carry the burden of masking up when countries like England ended the practice on May 17th, 2021? As stated earlier, under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds were allotted to create Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Programs and Governors Emergency Education Relief (GEER) programs. Funds from ESSER and GEER are then distributed to each state by the US Department of Education, with the understanding that a local educational agency (LEA) must address the extent to which the school has adopted policies and a description of any policies on each of the CDC’s recommendations, including mask wearing. According to the FAQ document school districts must continue to show compliance if they want to receive funds.
Schools that follow the CDC recommendations receive funding from the federal government.
May 25, 2021
Dr. Fauci, tells the U.K.’s Guardian newspaper in an interview published on Monday that vaccinations were key to controlling the virus.
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- “We don’t want to declare victory prematurely because we still have a way to go,” Fauci said. “But the more and more people that can get vaccinated, as a community, the community will be safer and safer.”
July 27, 2021
As American’s gear up for the return to the classroom, the CDC releases an update. This time, they require the fully vaccinated and unvaccinated to again wear masks indoors.
August 9, 2021
Fauci’s interview with Hugh Hewitt is quoted as saying “It’s not comfortable, obviously, for children to wear masks, particularly for the younger children. But hopefully, this will be a temporary thing, temporary enough that it doesn’t have any lasting negative impact on them.”(emphasis added)
November 9, 2021
Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser, says we won’t have to wear facemasks forever, but for now, it’s not time to pull back on restrictions. He speaks with Bloomberg’s David Westin on “Balance of Power.”
Summary
Since April 4th, 2020 (except between March 8th, 2021 to July 27th, 2021 non-masking phase, when vaccination rates were sufficient), Americans have been told to mask-up due to the recommendations of the CDC and Dr. Fauci. Interviews and communication with the American people have discussed very little regarding the science of mask use and previous literature on the topic seems to have been erased from our memory. We now are aware that the CARES and ARP funds can result in school districts bowing to the recommendations of the CDC regardless of whether they are rooted in sound science. We also know the former surgeon general was accurately leading the American people with tweets. A 100-day executive order campaign to “stop the spread” through masking now sounds earlier similar to the “15-days to stop the spread” campaign that was announced in March of 2020. A simple review at the nonsensicality associated with public policy regarding mask use is below.
- No masks were needed based on research.
- Masks needed for those in care settings (hospitals, long term care facility).
- All Americans should wear a mask (cloth).
- Double Masking provides better protection.
- No mask needed if fully vaccinated, unvaccinated need masks.
- Fully vaccinated and unvaccinated must return to masking indoors.
To provide additional perspective on guidance of mask use from Dr. Fauci watch this short video. How many times can an individual change their policy guidance before their word loses credibility? We imagine that changes to mask policies would not be difficult to process if the CDC’s own research on masks and other preventive measures correlated with their public policy and those public policies that other nations are adopting with success. To help educate yourself and your families, we’ve included 54 studies, or compilations of studies, on mask efficacy in various settings below. They should be reviewed carefully and shared with individuals as their findings should be used when creating public policy.
Research Studies on Masks
Conclusion
There exists a passive and altruistic attitude that continues to pervade American culture. Because an overwhelming majority of Americans are good, we assume all American’s are good; this is simply inaccurate. Let’s mix those words up a bit and bring in science. Because a plethora of science is really good, we assume all science is good; this is simply inaccurate. This is why we have put together the information in this chapter for you to consume. We realize it is not a 15 second video clip, or 140 characters of information. It is instead, a comprehensive review of masking and mask use to prevent the transmission of a virus. It is the opinion of the authors that Americans should not respect mask mandates or policies just because it is a mandate or policy rather, we should respect it when it does not contradict science.
After reviewing the information provided, we ask that you make an informed decision of how to proceed with your own life, knowing that we would respect your decision regardless of whether it aligns with our own. While the science of masking may seem to be common sense, wait until you learn about the “gold standard” Polymerase Chain Reaction tests we have been using to diagnose Covid-19. Chapter 4 will be golden.
Questions to Consider
- Why does the United States continue mask wearing for children in primary educational settings when the European CDC does not allow 12-and-under to wear masks in educational settings?
- How many more times will our leaders change their recommendations on masking moving forward?
- Is connecting educational funding to only those schools who follow CDC recommendations appropriate?
- When, if ever, will individuals stop masking?
“Researchers can benefit the people of a nation as a whole when they act as a check against absolutism.” – Dr. Eric Snyder
Chapter 5: Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Testing: A chain reaction of false diagnostics?
