Politicians are using government force to make you wear masks. Not everywhere, but there is pressure applied from all corners of the culture at the prompting of the State. A practice based on a false-assumption.
Related: Neurosurgeon: Research Suggests “Masks Pose Serious Risks to the Healthy”
That medical masks limit or eliminate the likelihood of transmission of a flu-like virus.
According to Denis G. Rancourt, Ph.D., there is no definitive study (no clinical proof) that proves wearing masks protects you from a flu.
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.
Rancourt links to numerous studies to support the claim as well as evidence (physics and biology) that prove they could not work.
Here in New Hampshire, we have some anecdotal proof of this. The second-largest group of people who have contracted COVID19, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not, are Health Care Workers (HCW).
1,970 of New Hampshire’s confirmed infections are individuals in long term care facilities or nursing homes. The second largest group is HCW’s with 1,510 cases.
Yes, this could be the result of increased testing in this group, but if hand-washing, gloves, shields, and masks, worked, why were almost as many Health Care Workers infected as high-risk elderly patients (who were probably also wearing masks).
The explanation is that medical masks, (cloth masks, scarfs, bandanas), do nothing to prevent the transmission of a virus that is small enough to be inhaled through the mask. Flu viruses are small enough, so masks don’t work.
Politicians are telling you (or forcing you) to wear them under the false premise that this will protect you, but according to Rancourt’s research, not only do they not do that, they never could.
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.
Masks would then be nothing more than a placebo.
And based on the linked research papers, you might as well not bother unless you want to experience the known side effects of long-time wear.
There was a bright note. Masks, N95 masks, in particular, demonstrated success in preventing the spread of bacteria but not viruses.
You are, of course, free to wear them. And if your physician suggests it, you should base your decision on their advice.
Businesses should be free to set and advertise their policies so that customers can choose whether or not to engage in commerce with these establishments.
As for governments mandating them, that needs to stop. They are threatening to cite or fine people for refusing to engage in a useless exercise, and disguising encounters as “education” just makes it worse though it is true to life. The government is pretending to do something for your own good that does nothing of the sort.
