CDC guidelines say wearing a mask during prolonged exposure to coronavirus won’t prevent possible infection
Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that those who come in close contact with someone with the coronavirus for more than 15 minutes could spread the virus regardless of whether either party wears a mask.
Wondering what @cdcgov really thinks about masks? Their guidance on quarantining after exposure to someone with #covid explicitly states whether the infected OR exposed person wore masks doesn’t matter.
My mask protects no one. So does yours. Thanks for clearing that up, CDC! pic.twitter.com/3P1fm9tuAV
— Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) August 23, 2020
“Wondering what @cdcgov really thinks about masks? Their guidance on quarantining after exposure to someone with #covid explicitly states whether the infected OR exposed person wore masks doesn’t matter,” former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson tweeted Sunday.
“My mask protects no one. So does yours. Thanks for clearing that up, CDC!” he added, accompanied by screenshots of the CDC’s guidelines.
Refusing to wear face mask ‘could be sign of sociopath’ – study https://t.co/Opv1k53YiO
— Marc Morano (@ClimateDepot) September 3, 2020
Wear a mask while having sex, Canada’s top doctor suggests: Reuters – Skip kissing and consider wearing a mask when having sex to protect yourself from catching the coronavirus, Canada’s chief medical officer said on Wednesday, adding that going solo remains the lowest risk sexual option in a pandemic.
"Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer is throwing another recommendation into the growing pool of COVID sex guidelines: wear a mask"
— Marc Morano (@ClimateDepot) September 4, 2020
Evidence for masks ‘not very strong in either direction’, says Deputy Chief Medical Officer – The evidence for face coverings is “not very strong in either direction”, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer has admitted.
#
Take Your Masks Off: That’s What THE Science Says
Statistician Dr. Matt Briggs:
What follows are a list of links and papers on the evidence of the efficacy of masks. Which is low to nonexistent. Not that this evidence matters to most, especially those who cherish their fear. But I present it anyway, because I can’t help myself. If you see any I’ve not yet discovered, please put them in the comments.
Show this article to anybody who says, unironically, “The science”.
Breath Free
Science is broken. It is now (and has been) a service of the global progressive order. Witness this headline: Narcissists and Psychopaths Are More Likely to Refuse to Wear Masks, Says New Research.
Two recent studies looked at the relationship between personality traits and reactions to restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19. Researchers found that people possessing so-called “Dark Triad” traits—narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism—were less likely to comply with restrictions or engage in preventative measures against the pandemic. However, researchers also emphasized the small role personality traits have in the overall response to pandemic restrictions, like face-mask mandates and social-distancing requirements.
Both studies, which, combined, surveyed more than a thousand people in Poland, were published in the peer-reviewed academic journal Personality and Individual Differences.
They boasted of “peer review”, which is like those guys who beat up strangers and post videos of it to Facebook. Notice, too, that psychopathy has been defined as adhering to Reality. Science has been inverted.
Cloth masks: Dangerous to your health?
Respiratory infection is much higher among healthcare workers wearing cloth masks compared to medical masks, research shows. Cloth masks should not be used by workers in any healthcare setting, authors of the new study say…
The trial saw 1607 hospital healthcare workers across 14 hospitals in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, split into three groups: those wearing medical masks, those wearing cloth masks and a control group based on usual practice, which included mask wearing.
Workers used the mask on every shift for four consecutive weeks.
The study found respiratory infection was much higher among healthcare workers wearing cloth masks.
The penetration of cloth masks by particles was almost 97% compared to medical masks with 44%.
Reduction in COVID-19 Infection Using Surgical Facial Masks Outside the Healthcare System
In the current COVID-19 pandemic with coronavirus, SARS-COV2, the Danish Health Authorities recommend using facial masks in the health care system when handling patients presumed or proven to be infected with the virus. However, the use of facial masks outside the health care system is not recommended by the Danish Health Authorities. Here, Health Authorities in other countries have different recommendations for the use of facial masks.
Challenges when using facial masks outside the health care system include wearing the mask consistently, an efficacy of the mask of app. 8 hours necessitating a change of mask throughout the day, and that it is not sufficiently tight enough to safely keep the virus out. Moreover, the eyes (mucous membrane) remain exposed. Compliance could also be another challenge.
They instead ask for all to use surgical masks. But if you’re going to do that, you may as well wear those hermetically sealed yellow space suits the media loves to show. After all, why take any chance!
Popular article on mask efficacy.
Another: Obligation du port du masque “sans aucun fondement scientifique” selon le Pr Toubiana qui fustige un “choix politique”. Which has been obvious to us for a long time.
Masks Don’t Work: A Review of Science Relevant to COVID-19 Social Policy. Quoting:
Review of the Medical Literature
Here are key anchor points to the extensive scientific literature that establishes that wearing surgical masks and respirators (e.g., “N95”) does not reduce the risk of contracting a verified illness:
Jacobs, J. L. et al. (2009) “Use of surgical face masks to reduce the incidence of the common cold among health care workers in Japan: A randomized controlled trial,” American Journal of Infection Control, Volume 37, Issue 5, 417 — 419. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19216002
N95-masked health-care workers (HCW) were significantly more likely to experience headaches. Face mask use in HCW was not demonstrated to provide benefit in terms of cold symptoms or getting colds.
Cowling, B. et al. (2010) “Face masks to prevent transmission of influenza virus: A systematic review,” Epidemiology and Infection, 138(4), 449-456. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-infection/article/face-masks-to-prevent-transmission-of-influenza-virus-a-systematic- review/64D368496EBDE0AFCC6639CCC9D8BC05
None of the studies reviewed showed a benefit from wearing a mask, in either HCW or community members in households (H). See summary Tables 1 and 2 therein.
bin-Reza et al. (2012) “The use of masks and respirators to prevent transmission of influenza: a systematic review of the scientific evidence,” Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 6(4), 257–267. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1750-2659.2011.00307.x
“There were 17 eligible studies. … None of the studies established a conclusive relationship between mask/respirator use and protection against influenza infection.”
Smith, J.D. et al. (2016) “Effectiveness of N95 respirators versus surgical masks in protecting health care workers from acute respiratory infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” CMAJ Mar 2016 https://www.cmaj.ca/content/188/8/567
“We identified six clinical studies … . In the meta-analysis of the clinical studies, we found no significant difference between N95 respirators and surgical masks in associated risk of (a) laboratory-confirmed respiratory infection, (b) influenza-like illness, or (c) reported work-place absenteeism.”
Offeddu, V. et al. (2017) “Effectiveness of Masks and Respirators Against Respiratory Infections in Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 65, Issue 11, 1 December 2017, Pages 1934–1942, https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/65/11/1934/4068747
“Self-reported assessment of clinical outcomes was prone to bias. Evidence of a protective effect of masks or respirators against verified respiratory infection (VRI) was not statistically significant”; as per Fig. 2c therein:
Radonovich, L.J. et al. (2019) “N95 Respirators vs Medical Masks for Preventing Influenza Among Health Care Personnel: A Randomized Clinical Trial,” JAMA. 2019; 322(9): 824–833. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2749214
“Among 2862 randomized participants, 2371 completed the study and accounted for 5180 HCW-seasons. … Among outpatient health care personnel, N95 respirators vs medical masks as worn by participants in this trial resulted in no significant difference in the incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza.”
Long, Y. et al. (2020) “Effectiveness of N95 respirators versus surgical masks against influenza: A systematic review and meta-analysis,” J Evid Based Med. 2020; 1- 9. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jebm.12381
“A total of six RCTs involving 9,171 participants were included. There were no statistically significant differences in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza, laboratory-confirmed respiratory viral infections, laboratory-confirmed respiratory infection, and influenza-like illness using N95 respirators and surgical masks. Meta-analysis indicated a protective effect of N95 respirators against laboratory-confirmed bacterial colonization (RR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.43-0.78). The use of N95 respirators compared with surgical masks is not associated with a lower risk of laboratory-confirmed influenza.”
Sweden’s top health guy (from one of the few countries that did not panic) says ‘Dangerous’ to think masks will stop virus
Another source with lists of studies on mask efficacy:
- Ritter et al., in 1975, found that “the wearing of a surgical face mask had no effect upon the overall operating room environmental contamination.”
- Ha’eri and Wiley, in 1980, applied human albumin microspheres to the interior of surgical masks in 20 operations. At the end of each operation, wound washings were examined under the microscope. “Particle contamination of the wound was demonstrated in all experiments.”
- Laslett and Sabin, in 1989, found that caps and masks were not necessary during cardiac catheterization. “No infections were found in any patient, regardless of whether a cap or mask was used,” they wrote. Sjol and Kelbaek came to the same conclusion in 2002.
- In Tunevall’s 1991 study, a general surgical team wore no masks in half of their surgeries for two years. After 1,537 operations performed with masks, the wound infection rate was 4.7%, while after 1,551 operations performed without masks, the wound infection rate was only 3.5%.A review by Skinner and Sutton in 2001 concluded that “The evidence for discontinuing the use of surgical face masks would appear to be stronger than the evidence available to support their continued use.”
- Lahme et al., in 2001, wrote that “surgical face masks worn by patients during regional anaesthesia, did not reduce the concentration of airborne bacteria over the operation field in our study. Thus they are dispensable.”
- Figueiredo et al., in 2001, reported that in five years of doing peritoneal dialysis without masks, rates of peritonitis in their unit were no different than rates in hospitals where masks were worn.
- Bahli did a systematic literature review in 2009 and found that “no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative wound infection was observed between masks groups and groups operated with no masks.”
- Surgeons at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, recognizing the lack of evidence supporting the use of masks, ceased requiring them in 2010 for anesthesiologists and other non-scrubbed personnel in the operating room. “Our decision to no longer require routine surgical masks for personnel not scrubbed for surgery is a departure from common practice. But the evidence to support this practice does not exist,” wrote Dr. Eva Sellden.
- Webster et al., in 2010, reported on obstetric, gynecological, general, orthopaedic, breast and urological surgeries performed on 827 patients. All non-scrubbed staff wore masks in half the surgeries, and none of the non-scrubbed staff wore masks in half the surgeries. Surgical site infections occurred in 11.5% of the Mask group, and in only 9.0% of the No Mask group.
- Lipp and Edwards reviewed the surgical literature in 2014 and found “no statistically significant difference in infection rates between the masked and unmasked group in any of the trials.” Vincent and Edwards updated this review in 2016 and the conclusion was the same.
- Caroe, in a 2014 review based on four studies and 6,006 patients, wrote that “none of the four studies found a difference in the number of post-operative infections whether you used a surgical mask or not.”
- Salassa and Swiontkowski, in 2014, investigated the necessity of scrubs, masks and head coverings in the operating room and concluded that “there is no evidence that these measures reduce the prevalence of surgical site infection.”
- Da Zhou et al., reviewing the literature in 2015, concluded that “there is a lack of substantial evidence to support claims that facemasks protect either patient or surgeon from infectious contamination.”
The CDC itself: Public Health Guidance for Community-Related Exposure: “While research indicates masks may help those who are infected from spreading the infection, there is less information regarding whether masks offer any protection for a contact exposed to a symptomatic or asymptomatic patient.”
The Surgeon General speaks!
Or if you really want to signal your purity, this:
Can’t pass this up:
Lastly, we saw earlier that a meta-analysis said masks don’t work at stopping influenza spreading.
#
Related Links:
Ritter et al., in 1975, found that “the wearing of a surgical face mask had no effect upon the overall operating room environmental contamination.”
Ha’eri and Wiley, in 1980, applied human albumin microspheres to the interior of surgical masks in 20 operations. At the end of each operation, wound washings were examined under the microscope. “Particle contamination of the wound was demonstrated in all experiments.”
Laslett and Sabin, in 1989, found that caps and masks were not necessary during cardiac catheterization. “No infections were found in any patient, regardless of whether a cap or mask was used,” they wrote. Sjøl and Kelbaek came to the same conclusion in 2002.
A review by Skinner and Sutton in 2001 concluded that “The evidence for discontinuing the use of surgical face masks would appear to be stronger than the evidence available to support their continued use.”
Lahme et al., in 2001, wrote that “surgical face masks worn by patients during regional anaesthesia, did not reduce the concentration of airborne bacteria over the operation field in our study. Thus they are dispensable.”
Dr. Briggs: “We might as well have a tinfoil hat mandate to protect from aliens. It would, at this point, be just as useful.”
“This moral panic is like Prohibition. This time not against alcohol, but against breath. Three-quarters of Americans falsely believe death is lurking in people’s breath.”
“The AP, like our dear leaders, uses the term “cases” as if they were cases, i.e. illness requiring treatment. When what these foolish people mean is infections, symptomatic or not, past or present. It is medical malpractice to mix the two up.”
“As said, it is probably not worth looking at the evidence of mask usefulness. People’s minds are made up.”
“Forcing masks on people in “passing encounters in public spaces” has no medical justification. None.”
2006 study on viruses lockdowns, social distancing & masks:
On masks: “But studies have shown the ordinary surgical mask does little to prevent inhalation of small droplets bearing influenza virus. The pores in the mask become blocked by moisture from breathing, and the air stream simply diverts around the mask.”
The final paragraph begins: “Experience has shown that communities faced with epidemics or other adverse events respond best and with the least anxiety when the normal social functioning of the community is least disrupted.”
On “Prohibition of Social Gatherings”: “During [flu] epidemics, public events with an expected large attendance have sometimes been cancelled… There are, however, no certain indications these actions have had any definitive effect on the severity or duration of an epidemic.”
“But a policy calling for communitywide cancellation of public events seems inadvisable.”
#
Also see: The Case Against Mandatory Mask Regulations
A 2015 study on masks of 1600 health-care workers showed those wearing masks were 6 times as likely to have flu-like illnesses as those in the control group after 4 weeks…” – The conclusion: “This study is the first RCT of cloth masks, and the results caution against the use of cloth masks… moisture retention, reuse of cloth masks, and poor filtration may result in an increased risk of infection.”
More here:
Sweden’s Covid Expert Says ‘World Went Mad’ With Lockdowns
5/ Now, in some of these states COVID-related hospitalizations have also risen (though they make up a tiny fraction of overall hospitalizations). Scary, right?
No. When people go to the hospital for elective surgeries they are now routinely tested for COVID…
While it’s way too soon to compare the numbers, H3N2 has so far proved deadlier than COVID-19. Between 1968 and 1970, the Hong Kong flu killed between an estimated 1 and 4 million, according to the CDC and Encyclopaedia Britannica, with US deaths exceeding 100,000
The virus rarely made front-page news.
Physicist’s new study: Why masks don’t work & how governments are operating a science vacuum
The Case Against Mandatory Mask Regulations
Updated: Physicists mask study updated in August 2020
Update: June 2020: CNBC: ALERT: The World Health Orgnaziont now admits COVID can basically not spread unless you have active symptoms! Asymptomatic spread of coronavirus is ‘very rare,’ WHO says Government responses should focus on detecting and isolating infected people with symptoms, said the WHO’s Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove.
“From the data we have, it still seems to be rare that an asymptomatic person actually transmits onward to a secondary individual,” Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO’s emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, said from the UN’s agency’s Geneva headquarters. “It’s very rare.” …
If asymptomatic spread proves to not be a main driver of coronavirus transmission, the policy implications could be tremendous.
Marc Morano: Even health bureaucrats can’t keep the virus scare alive anymore. End mask mandates and lockdowns!
#
A 2015 study on masks of 1600 health-care workers showed those wearing masks were 6 times as likely to have flu-like illnesses as those in the control group after 4 weeks…” – The conclusion: “This study is the first RCT of cloth masks, and the results caution against the use of cloth masks… moisture retention, reuse of cloth masks, and poor filtration may result in an increased risk of infection.”
More here:
