Do cloth masks work?

While ruling out another full lockdown, Italian health officials are instead urging people to limit their own movements, even as concern grows that by keeping them at their homes, they are inadvertently encouraging private parties where the spread seems to be the worst at the moment. Italy’s health ministry released data this week showing that 80.3 percent of the new infections “occur at home” while only 4.2 percent come from recreational activities and schools.

Some of that did not come through on first post -- so posted last two separate.

Another point in article asking if masks work why the difference in areas:

And, look at this chart that shows, since June, where deaths have been weighted in California. Notice anything? It’s worth mentioning that California also destroys the narrative that governmental behavior has anything to do with the spread of the virus since California not only locked down early and hard, but also had an early mask mandate. And, they look no different from Texas, Arizona, or Florida, which had much more liberal lockdown policies.

This is long.  But emphasizes a few of the underlying points about masks:

Several times a day, on every possible news outlet, we are bombarded with updates as to the new number of “cases” of COVID-19 in the U.S. and elsewhere.  News analysts then use these numbers to justify criticisms of those who dare to reject the CDC’s recommendations with regards to mask wearing and social distancing.   It is imperative that all Americans  - and especially those in the medical profession - understand the actual definition of a “case” of COVID -19 so as to make informed decisions as to how to live our lives.

Older Americans remember all too well the dread they experienced when a family member was diagnosed with a “case” of scarlet fever, diphtheria, whooping cough (pertussis), or polio.  During my career in family medicine, including several years as an Army physician, I have cared for patients with chickenpox, shingles, Lyme disease as well as measles, tuberculosis, malaria, and AIDS.   The “case definition” established for all of these diseases by the CDC requires the presence of signs and symptoms of that disease.  In other words, each case involved a SICK patient.  Laboratory studies may be performed to “confirm” a diagnosis, but are not sufficient in the absence of clinical symptoms.

Having now been privileged to care for sick patients with COVID-19, both in and out of the hospital setting, I am happy to see the number of these sick patients dwindle almost to zero in my community – while the “case numbers” for COVID-19 continue to go up.  Why is that?

In marked contrast to measles, shingles, and other infectious disease, “cases” of COVID-19 do NOT require the presence of ANY symptoms whatsoever.   Health departments are encouraging everyone and anyone to come in for testing, and each positive test is reported as yet another “new” case of COVID-19!

On April 5, 2020, a small number of state epidemiologists (Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) Technical Supplement: Interim-20-ID-01) came up with a “surveillance” case definition for COVID-19.  At the time, there was uncertainty as to whether or not completely asymptomatic persons could transmit COVID-19 sufficiently enough to infect and cause disease in others. (This notion has never been proven and, in fact,  has recently been discounted – cfr “ A Study on the Infectivity of Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Carriers,  Ming Fao et al, Respir Med, 2020 Aug – available online through PubMed 2020 May 13, as well as recent reports from the WHO itself).   The CSTF thereby justified the unconventional case definition for COVID-19, adding  “CSTE realizes that field investigations will involve evaluations of persons with no symptoms and these individuals will need to be counted as cases.”

Hence, anyone who has a positive PCR test (the nasal swab, PCR test for COVID Antigen or Nucleic Acid) or serological test (blood test for antibodies –IgG and/or IgM) would be classified as a “case” – even in the absence of symptoms.   In our hospitals at this time, there are hundreds of former nursing home residents sitting in “COVID” units who are in their usual state of good health, banned from returning to their former nursing home residences simply because they have TESTED Positive for COVID-19 during mass testing programs in the nursing homes.

The presence of a positive lab test for COVID-19 in a person who has never been sick is actually GOOD news for that person and for the rest of us.  The positive test indicates that this person has likely mounted an adequate immune response to a small dose of COVID-19 to whom he or she was exposed – naturally (hence, no need for a vaccine vs. COVID-19).

It is important as well to understand that the presence of lab testing is not the ONLY criterion that the  the CDC uses to established a diagnosis of COVID-19.  The presence of only 1 or 2 flu-like symptoms (fever,chills, cough, sore throat,  shortness of breath)  - in the absence of another proven cause (e.g., influenza, bacterial pneumonia) is SUFFICIENT to give a diagnosis of COVID-19 – as long as the patient also meets certain “epidemiological linkage” criteria as follows:

“In a person with clinically compatible symptoms,   [a “case” will be reported if that person had] one or more of the following exposures in the 14 days before onset of symptoms: travel to or residence in an area with sustained, ongoing community transmission of SARS-CoV-2; close contact (10 minutes or longer, within a 6 foot distance) with a person diagnosed with COVID-19; or member of a risk cohort as defined by public health authorities during an outbreak.”  Note that the definition of a “risk cohort” includes age > 70 or living in a nursing home or similar facility.

So, in essence, any person with an influenza- like illness (ILI) could be considered a “case” of COVID-19,  even WITHOUT confirmatory lab testing.  The CDC has even advised to consider any deaths from pneumonia or ILI as “Covid-related” deaths – unless the physician or medical examiner establishes another infectious agent as the cause of illness.

Now perhaps you see why the increasing number of cases, and even deaths, due to COVID-19 is fraught with misinterpretation and is NOT in any way a measure of the ACTUAL morbidity and mortality FROM COVID-19.   My patients who insist upon wearing masks, gloves and social distancing are citing these misleading statistics as justification for their decisions (and, of course, that they are following the “CDC guidelines”).  I simply advise them, “COVID-19 is NOT in the atmosphere around us; it resides in the respiratory tracts of infected individuals and can only be transmitted to others by sick, infected persons after prolonged contact with others”.

So you may ask – why are we continuing to report increasing numbers of cases of COVID as though it were BAD news for America? Rather than as GOOD news, i.e, that the thousands of healthy Americans testing positive  (also known as  “asymptomatic”)  are indicative of the presence of herd immunity – protecting themselves and many of us from potential future assaults by variants of COVID?

Why did we as a society stop sending our children to schools and camps and sports activities?  Why did we stop going to work and church and public parks and beaches?  Why did we insist that healthy persons “stay at home” – rather than observing the evidence-based, medically prudent method of identifying those who were sick and isolating them from the rest of the population -   advising the sick to “stay at home” and allowing the rest of society to function normally?  And, while we witnessed the gatherings of protestors in recent days with little concerns for COVID-19 spread among these asymptomatic persons, most certainly many are hoping  that the increasing “case” numbers for COVID-19 will discourage folks from coming to any more rallies for certain candidates for political office.

Fear is a powerful weapon.  FDR famously broadcast to Americans in 1933 that “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself”.  I would argue that we have to fear those who would have us remain fearful and servile and willing to surrender basic freedoms without justification.

2500 a day 30 days later expounding at this rate.

Integral of 2500 a day expanding at a rate of every day 6 percent higher than the previous day.

30 days later the death toll will double its current status. We only lose 1 million citizens a year it's ok because we gain 1.3 million citizens in live birth. 

This added to the unaffected deaths and with the lack of human interest in reproduction leads to population total reduction.  

If trend continues sci to king flick stand could be a serious possibility.....

Doctor Fauci is fed up with people who thinks coronavirus is no worse than the flu.  More Americans have died from coronavirus than from influenza during previous 5 seasons combined according to US center for disease control.  Despite stricter controls, number of covid deaths far exceed flu deaths in any bad season according to John Hopkins university.   Over 270,000 covid deaths may seem relatively small in a population of 330 million.  But  270,000 Americans dead is not normal and they would be alive without this pandemic.  This week, coronavirus is the leading cause of deaths in the US.

and directly contradicts recent advice from the CDC about wearing a mask. Namely, the study states:

English translation: there is no evidence that wearing masks reduces the transmission of respiratory illnesses and, if masks are worn improperly (like when people re-use cloth masks), transmission could actually INCREASE. Moreover, this study was a meta-analysis, which means it dug deep into the archive of science (all the way back to 1946!) to reach its conclusions. Said differently, this is as comprehensive as science gets, and their conclusions were crystal clear: masks for the general population show no evidence of working to either slow the spread of respiratory viruses or protect people.

The issue, as partially addressed above, is how they are being counted, etc.  The percentage of folks dying just because of Wuhan Flu is not that bad.  They are dying of other things WHILE having Wuhan Flu. As mentioned above Wuhan is being counted differently than other sicknesses, including Flu.

dismissed the idea that masks alone will "solve" the pandemic this week, citing “astonishingly weak” scientific evidence.

“The findings that have been produced through [the use of] face masks are astonishingly weak,” he told the German outlet Bild.

“I’m surprised that we don’t have more or better studies showing what effect masks actually have. Countries such as Spain and Belgium have made their populations wear masks, but their infection numbers have still risen. The belief that masks can solve our problem is in any case very dangerous,” he said.

A Centers for Disease Control report released in September shows that masks and face coverings are not effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19, even for those people who consistently wear them.

A study conducted in the United States in July found that when they compared 154 “case-patients,” who tested positive for COVID-19, to a control group of 160 participants from health care facilities who were symptomatic but tested negative, over 70 percent of the case-patients were contaminated with the virus and fell ill despite “always” wearing a mask.

“In the 14 days before illness onset, 71% of case-patients and 74% of control participants reported always using cloth face coverings or other mask types when in public,” the report stated.

In addition, over 14 percent of the case-patients said they “often” wore a face covering and were still infected with the virus. The study also demonstrates that under 4 percent of the case-patients became sick with the virus even though they “never” wore a mask or face covering.

Despite over 70 percent of the case-patient participants’ efforts to follow CDC recommendations by committing to always wearing face coverings at “gatherings with =10 or >10 persons in a home; shopping; dining at a restaurant; going to an office setting, salon, gym, bar/coffee shop, or church/religious gathering; or using public transportation,” they still contracted the virus.

While the study notes that some of these people may have contracted the virus from the few moments that they removed their mask to eat or drink at “places that offer on-site eating or drinking,” the CDC concedes that there is no successful way to evaluate if that was the exact moment someone became exposed and contracted the virus.

“Characterization of community exposures can be difficult to assess when widespread transmission is occurring, especially from asymptomatic persons within inherently interconnected communities,” the report states.

In fact, the report suggests that “direction, ventilation, and intensity of airflow might affect virus transmission, even if social distancing measures and mask use are implemented according to current guidance.”

Despite this new scientific information, the CDC, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci, and many political authorities are still encouraging people to wear masks. Many states and cities have even mandated masks, citing them as one of the main tools to “slow the spread” of coronavirus and keep case numbers in their area down.

Too much information that simply demonstrates masks are not preventing the spread.  They may help along with other measures. 

But the question still remains -- if masks work why did the spikes happen?  Then why some areas without mask mandates did not have the spikes the places with the mask mandates had? Etc., etc.

I understand wearing a mask to not offend someone that is scared of the Media and Left frenzy.  But do not try to say this is preventing or bringing it down. 

You are always able to go look at the charts (I do not know how, if you can, post charts on here) on when the mask mandates were implemented and then look at the succeeding spikes.

It sewage treatment that ultimately abated covid.

Parts of Covid first found in Spain sewage plants.

Near meat lockers. 

These reports are neither confined or denied because most of that is just gone as in terms of paper work.

The other is this was here trapped in frozen methane a biologist gathered the solid pieces of methane below the ocean and it was apart of it.

It is airborne it can live on dry paper surfaces for a.week. you can contract the virus and not know for up to 14 days. And seems the same as they ever were.

We have a cure and opened the door to a cure for every disease known to inflict man. Mrna technology defines tour cells and then reproduces your healthy cells faster than infected cells to diminish and dissolve cancer back to healthy tissue.  Or a defined term it can destroy aids hiv.

Mrna technology is not patterned moderna lost the law suit but they are in phase three trials for a drug to remove cancer. Studies are phenomonial. 

We ended disease by existing with covid....

US center for disease control still recommends mask wearing in public places to prevent virus spread.  Actually, summary of quoted report says risk of covid infection is higher in places where mask use and social distancing are hard to maintain.  For examples, restaurant, church and gym.  No mention that masks are ineffective.

This is a quote from an article that addresses that sentiment:

“Sorry, YOU are wrong.

The latest Danish study on masks contradicts you. The two ER docs a few months ago before their video was taken down disagree with you.

So does the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons (quote from their paper: Conclusion:Wearing masks (other than N95) will not be effective at preventing SARS-CoV-2 transmission, whether worn as source control or as PPE. N95s protect health care workers, but are not recommended for source control transmission.
Surgical masks are better than cloth but not very efficient at preventing emissions from infected patients. Cloth masks must be 3 layers, plus adding static electricity by rubbing with rubber glove.)"

The N95s they discuss are MEDICAL grade, must be custom-fitted to the face, you must be trained in putting it on and in its proper handling, and they're expensive. We note that the stores and even the docs' offices and hospitals only ask you wear a NON-MEDICAL grade mask. What does that tell you?

Asymptomatics do not spread the disease anywhere near so much because The Germ is rendered impotent by the carrier's immune system. If it weren't for their being required to be tested for work or before surgery, these folks would never even know they were carrying it.

Clinically sick people-those who show symptoms-do. This is why you stay home when you actually show symptoms, never at any other time.

But you continue to shiver in your cellar, and be sure to wear at least two rabbits' feet when you go out.”

Quote:

“No, Matt, if you're healthy you need not wear a mask, nor should you. Period.

The exhale serves a purpose. It isn't that of being captured and re-breathed. There is no healthy gain to be made re-breathing your own waste air with all the germs, bacteria, other toxins and excess CO2 both it and the mask holds from the first exhale.

If you're sick, stay the hell at home. Same if you're scared. But don't tell people they 'ought' to wear a mask as a matter of 'common sense'.

It isn't 'common sense'. It's virtue signaling”

Quote:

“Like many, my spouse and I dutifully followed all the government and media recommendations to prevent contracting or spreading COVID.

Then she brought it home from work, a workplace where they are all masked and socially distanced (so much for Gov. Cuomo's advice).

But here's the real kicker - it wasn't so bad.

We're both older (64), I'm diabetic with hypertension. Neither or us are athletes but do work out regularly. We're now just about out of the recommended quarantine and both agree that we've had colds worse than the fearsome COVID.

Obviously the virus is deadly to frail people, but I'm seriously rethinking all the hype and fear associated with the disease. And with the recent studies regarding the efficacy of masks, I'm wondering if we haven't been (way) oversold by our government and media on the reality of COVID.

Seems that for most people, it just isn't that bad. Perhaps it's time for government to get out of the COVID fear mongering business and allow everyone to manage their own risk.”

Quote:

“I'm sure you have no idea what you're talking about.

The other day, "King" Faux-Xi proclaimed that even if he were vaccinated, he'd still wear a mask and social distance and all of that other crap, and would encourage the same. This is the kind of crap that makes public health "experts" like Faux-Xi lose all credibility. That's the whole point of the vaccine, to avoid having a country of hermits living on the dole. And then, of course, is Santino Cuomo closing schools despite the fact that kids are almost completely immune to the ChiCom virus. There's no science behind that. All it shows is that Cuomo has been give a license to let power go to his head. And that's after murdering God knows how many old people in New York state.

On top of that, there are less people dying from it, even if cases are up.

If you want to live your life scared to death and alone, do it in private instead of trying impose your fear on everyone else.”

https://www.thehealthyamerican.org/masks-dont-work

A study on health effects of wearing masks. While the study does not show long term health effects they will eventually be unavoidable because physiological short term symptoms are still present.

"Wearing an N95 for an entire 12-hour shift had statistically significant negative effects on some physiologic measures and subjective symptoms. Over time, nurses’ CO2 levels became significantly elevated, from a statistical standpoint, compared with beginning-of-shift baseline measures; perceived exertion; perceived shortness of air; and complaints of headache, lightheadedness, and difficulty communicating also increased over time (Tables 3 and and4 ). CO2 levels increased from a baseline average of 32.4 at the beginning of the shift to 41.0 at the end of each shift. There were no changes in nurses’ blood pressure, O2 levels, perceived comfort, perceived thermal comfort, or complaints of visual difficulties compared with baseline levels." Source: Physiologic and other effects and compliance with long-term respirator use among medical intensive care unit nurses - Study

When a person has negative physiological symptoms for a long period of time it can cause stress and anxiety. "Being stressed out for a long period of time might increase anxiety, a new study shows. The study, published in Behavioral Neuroscience, lays some of the blame on stress hormones. Those stress hormones -- such as cortisol and corticotropin-releasing hormone -- can help respond to an immediate threat. Source: WebMd

Stress is a major contributor to disease manifestation since it is known to lower the immune system. "When we're stressed, the immune system's ability to fight off antigens is reduced. That is why we are more susceptible to infections. The stress hormone corticosteroid can suppress the effectiveness of the immune system (e.g. lowers the number of lymphocytes)." Source: Stress, Illness and the Immune System | Simply Psychology Website Study pdf link: Physiologic and other effects and compliance with long-term respirator use among medical intensive care unit nurses https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7132714/

Face masks: "In our systematic review, we identified 10 RCTs that reported estimates of the effectiveness of face masks in reducing laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infections in the community from literature published during 1946–July 27, 2018. In pooled analysis, we found no significant reduction in influenza transmission with the use of face masks" Source: Article, Nonpharmaceutical Measures for Pandemic Influenza in Nonhealthcare Settings—Personal Protective and Environmental Measures | From the Center for Disease Control Website

"Disposable medical masks (also known as surgical masks) are loose-fitting devices that were designed to be worn by medical personnel to protect accidental contamination of patient wounds, and to protect the wearer against splashes or sprays of bodily fluids (36). There is limited evidence for their effectiveness in preventing influenza virus transmission either when worn by the infected person for source control or when worn by uninfected persons to reduce exposure. Our systematic review found no significant effect of face masks on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza." Source: Article, Nonpharmaceutical Measures for Pandemic Influenza in Nonhealthcare Settings—Personal Protective and Environmental Measures

From the Center for Disease Control Website Masks Don't Work: A Review of Science Relevant to Covid-19 Social Policy https://www.rcreader.com/commentary/masks-dont-work-covid-a-review-of-science-relevant-to-covide-19-social-policy

(7) Columbia University: Psychological Harms of Face Masks:
"Many young children burst into tears or recoil when someone wearing a mask approaches. By putting on masks, we take away information that makes it especially difficult for children to recognize others and read emotional signals, which is unsettling and disconcerting." LINK HERE

(8) US Surgeon General Jerome Adams:
”Masks are not effective in preventing the general public from catching coronavirus.”
LINK HERE

(9) Dr. Anthony Fauci:
“People should not be walking around wearing masks. Masks do not provide the protection people think they do.” LINK HERE

(10) WHO, Dr. Mike Ryan:
”There is no specific evidence to suggest that the wearing of masks by the mass population has any potential benefit. In fact, there’s some evidence to suggest the opposite in the misuse of wearing a mask properly or fitting it properly. LINK HERE

(11) US Department of Labor — OSHA:
”Oxygen deficient is any atmosphere that contains less than19.5%.” This happens when the oxygen is displaced by inert gas such as CARBON DIOXIDE and is the leading cause of FATALITIES.” LINK HERE