by Aaron Warner
Few things divide Americans these days more than politics. Perhaps the most politically divisive issue I see on a daily basis is the one surrounding the mask craze, and it is a craze. Never in my wildest dreams would I think I’d see my fellow countryman and women so quickly rush out to buy vanity COVID19 masks despite the very clear early pronouncement from CDC advisor Anthony Fauci stating mask wearing among the general public is virtually useless. He was right when he said it then, and it’s still true now. So what has changed?
Early on in my research, back in March 2020, as the virus began to spread, I sought the most reputable sources of information for which masks were most effective if any. Any good scientist knows the Random Controlled Trial (RCT) is the gold standard for deriving scientific evidence for determining efficacy or lack thereof. As I poured over the research it was abundantly clear – masks do not work for stopping viral transmission. Neither in hospitals, nor in communities – nowhere could I find even one study that concluded masks available to the public could help prevent the spread of any virus, including this new one.
Not wanting to rush to judgment I waited for other studies to come out. In particular studies that would give us an idea of asymptomatic transmission, which was the other reason for wearing masks. The first study came from Wuhan, China itself – ground zero of the very scourge. Looking at over 10 million people they came back with less than 1,000 tested who were asymptomatic. Of those all were contact traced and exactly ZERO were found to transmit the virus. But can we trust the Chinese? Maybe not. However we can trust the Danes and they had a similar study which showed the same lack of asymptomatic transmission.
So why was everyone slapping this scientifically unsupported face diaper on if the science was clearly demonstrating they don’t work? I suppose that’s the million dollar question. Here are some facts about masks both from the studies and from doctors who likewise shake their heads at a public craze that is doing more harm than good.
- Both n95 and surgical masks have been shown ineffective in preventing the transmission of viruses in more than one RCT.
- Meta-analysis of all studies regarding masks and viral transmission prior to 2020 (going back to the 1970s) show they do not work to prevent viral spread in hospitals or communities.
- Size matters. Viruses can be measured in microns or nanometers. They are 30 times smaller than the apertures available to them in both n95 and surgical masks. Trying to stop the spread of a virus by comparison is like trying to keep a mosquito out of your yard with a chain-link fence.
- Assuming they actually worked, which the science overwhelmingly proves they don’t, masks stop being effective barriers around 20 minutes or once the moisture builds up on them, whichever comes first.
- The CDC states masks are rendered useless the moment you touch them with your hand. Look around and all you’ll see on people’s faces are useless masks.
- Mask manufacturers print on their labels “This product is not a respirator and will not provide any protection against Covid-19 or other viruses or contaminants.”
- As well as…”Wearing a mask does not reduce the risk of contracting any disease or infection….change/remove immediately in contaminated.”
That’s just refuting they do anything positive. Even more alarming are the harms caused by masking, both directly and indirectly, and especially against our children. As a certified Cardiovascular Fitness Specialist with the National Academy of Sports Medicine having worked with dozens if not hundreds of people with compromised cardiorespiratory and pulmonary systems, it’s common knowledge that exercise elevates your heart rate. As heart rate elevates oxygen intake decreases. This can be measured with heart rate monitors, pulse oximeters or simply by noting the difficulty breathing upon exertion. It’s settled science. There is no argument about this.
Perhaps this is why the World Health Organization has stated on their website since the beginning of this fiasco to not wear a mask while exercising. I am still stunned as I drive through the Ivy League campus in Hanover at how many students and athletes are wearing them while out running. It is insane. Literally. Especially given the clear evidence I just listed about their utter uselessness other than as the superficial palliative virtue signal Dr. Fauci said they were back in March.
To be clear, masks can cause more harm than good, especially when used improperly. Broad use of masks, especially when exercising is linked to:
- Hypoxia (lack of oxygen delivered to the vital tissues of the body)
- Hypoxemia (lack of oxygen available in the blood stream)
- Headaches
- Difficulty breathing
- Increased likelihood of transmission (due to moisturized barrier, chronic touching of masks, etc.)
From an athletic safety standpoint these are reason enough to not use them. They also obscure one’s vision, inhibit communication, and contribute to the likelihood of both bacterial pneumonia and skin irritation on the faces of kids already humiliated by a world full of adults who have lost touch with reality.
Add in the collateral damage they have and continue to cause both by what they symbolize and how they are being used to control a people who are born to be both brave and free and the need to resist their mandated use becomes an act of courage and patriotism. The collateral damage I’m referring to includes:
- Teen suicides have skyrocketed to 3,000 attempts each day in the US
- Mental illness, once a marginal issue, is becoming common place
- An obese and sick nation grows sicker by the day
- Families have been denied access to loved ones and cherished gatherings
- Small businesses, once the backbone of America, are being fractured across the land
Let’s also consider the misuse of the term “pandemic” to describe what’s happened in Vermont. By definition there are three criteria for something to rise to the level of pandemic, one of them requires an “enormous number of people dead”. As of this week the percentage of Vermonters dead from SARS-Cov2 is less than .03 percent. Not 3%, but .03%. Add to that most all of them are over sixty years of age with co-morbidities and we have an epidemic of common sense more than a pandemic level crisis.
I will write about how these masks, lockdowns and overreactions to this otherwise weak virus have caused more harm than helped in later articles. However, in the meantime, Vermont’s policy on masks should be lifted for good. The science is conclusive and the only reason to wear a mask in Vermont during cold and flu season is to keep your face warm or hide from your neighbors. And with the spontaneous explosion of Karens in the Attorney General’s office it’s no wonder people would choose to hide behind one.
The author is a Hartford resident, a boxing instructor, and a certified Cardiovascular Fitness Specialist and Cardiovascular Performance Specialist with the National Academy of Sports Medicine.