See the below to view the research associated with mask efficacy:
IMPORTANT (Uncertain if medical masks offer similar protection against COVID-19 compared with N95 respirators) – Medical Masks Versus N95 Respirators for Preventing COVID-19 Among Health Care Workers https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-1966
IMPORTANT (Why N95 masks don’t prevent infection) – Why N95s Fail to Stop the Spread https://brownstone.org/articles/why-n95-masks-fail-to-stop-spread/
Particle ranges and corresponding behavior of emitted matter
Pandemic mitigation measures should have begun with minimum viable particle size, which for SARS-CoV-2 falls at 0.06-0.14 µm. While frequently pushed by public health officials, N95s are solely rated and approved to capture matter greater than 0.3 µm. More than 90% percent of exhaled particulates have been shown to fall under 0.3 µm. This size of matter remains aloft for extended periods — hours, even days, depending on air exchange rates within the given space. SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to remain viable after hours as an aerosol outside of a host, and for days on surfaces.
“The SARS-CoV-2 virus was observed to be viable for 3 hr. in aerosols, with decrease in infectious virus concentration from 103.5 to 102.7 TCID50 per liter of air.”
“The survival times of airborne viruses on surfaces differ based on whether the surfaces are nonporous (e.g., plastic, stainless steel, glass) or porous (e.g., papers and clothes). Nonporous surfaces are major contributors to disease transmission since the survival times of airborne viruses on them have been observed to be much longer than those of porous surfaces.”
Masks and respirators certainly count as porous surfaces. Many respirators are also constructed of melt-blown plastics. Has viral viability on mask membranes been studied to a great enough extent?
An overlooked yet critical issue with masks and respirators is the seal – small gap areas render these apparatuses ineffective for the wearer. Seldom, if ever, is anyone wearing these apparatuses correctly, under the necessary terms of wear, so we are met with already non-mitigating apparatuses being worn incorrectly.
According to these figures for fit versus leakage, 3.2% percent leakage equates to 100% percent inefficacy.
VERY IMPORTANT – (CDC designed MMWR non peer-reviewed studies poorly designed with misleading outcomes) – Characteristics and quality of studies pertaining to masks published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.07.23292338v1 Published https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(23)00580-6/fulltext
MMWR publications pertaining to masks drew positive conclusions about mask effectiveness over 75% of the time despite only 30% testing masks and <15% having statistically significant results. No studies were randomized, yet over half drew causal conclusions. The level of evidence generated was low and the conclusions drawn were most often unsupported by the data. Our findings raise concern about the reliability of the journal for informing health policy
VERY IMPORTANT (Revisiting Boston Children Mask Study) – Mask mandates and COVID-19: A Re-analysis of the Boston school mask study https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.11974
The Boston and Chelsea districts, which maintained mask mandates, were outliers in terms of size, demographics, and testing. We failed to find a notable change in student cases in mask mandate districts compared with the 70 districts in the original study (-0.08/1000; p=0.98) and found a slight increase compared with a statewide control group +3.63/1000 (p=0.291). Results were similar for students and staff combined. Districts that dropped mask mandates first experienced the largest decreases in cases (22% drop vs 12% in the masked districts). There was a moderate to strong relationship (R2 = 0.35-0.66; p-values <0.001) between prior community infection burden and district case rates in Spring 2022, with prior immunity alone explaining as much as two-thirds of the variation in case rates in Spring of 2022. Conclusions: We fail to find any consistent notable negative relationship between school mask mandates and infection rates in the Greater Boston Area or state of Massachusetts during the 2021-2022 academic year.
VERY IMPORTANT (Cochrane Review) – Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of
respiratory viruses (Review) https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006207.pub6/full?highlightAbstract=reduce%7Cviruses%7Creduc%7Crespiratori%7Cvirus%7Cintervent%7Cspread%7Cthe%7Cinterventions%7Creview%7Cof%7Cinterrupt%7Cto%7Crespiratory%7Cphysical%7Cphysic
The pooled results of RCTs did not show a clear reduction in respiratory viral infection with the use of medical/surgical masks. There were no clear differences between the use of medical/surgical masks compared with N95/P2 respirators in healthcare workers when used in routine care to reduce respiratory viral infection. Hand hygiene is likely to modestly reduce the burden of respiratory illness, and although this effect was also present when ILI and laboratory‐confirmed influenza were analysed separately, it was not found to be a significant difference for the latter two outcomes. Harms associated with physical interventions were under‐investigated.
VERY IMPORTANT (Reanalysis of bias in Bangladesh study) – Re-analysis on the statistical sampling biases of a mask promotion trial in Bangladesh: a statistical replication https://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13063-022-06704-z
A recent randomized trial evaluated the impact of mask promotion on COVID-19-related outcomes. We find that staff behavior in both unblinded and supposedly blinded steps caused large and statistically significant imbalances in population sizes. These denominator differences constitute the rate differences observed in the trial, complicating inferences of causality.
VERY IMPORTANT (Cluster RCT of mask efficacy, not effective) Published 2015 – A cluster randomised trial of cloth masks compared with medical masks in healthcare workers https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25903751/
Results: The rates of all infection outcomes were highest in the cloth mask arm, with the rate of ILI statistically significantly higher in the cloth mask arm (relative risk (RR)=13.00, 95% CI 1.69 to 100.07) compared with the medical mask arm. Cloth masks also had significantly higher rates of ILI compared with the control arm. An analysis by mask use showed ILI (RR=6.64, 95% CI 1.45 to 28.65) and laboratory-confirmed virus (RR=1.72, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.94) were significantly higher in the cloth masks group compared with the medical masks group. Penetration of cloth masks by particles was almost 97% and medical masks 44%.
Conclusions: This study is the first RCT of cloth masks, and the results caution against the use of cloth masks. This is an important finding to inform occupational health and safety. Moisture retention, reuse of cloth masks and poor filtration may result in increased risk of infection. Further research is needed to inform the widespread use of cloth masks globally. However, as a precautionary measure, cloth masks should not be recommended for HCWs, particularly in high-risk situations, and guidelines need to be updated.
VERY IMPORTANT (Dangers and complications of wearing masks) – Measuring the quantity of harmful volatile organic compounds inhaled through masks https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10112860/
VERY IMPORTANT (Efficacy of cloth masks in prevention) – Efficacy of cloth face mask in prevention of novel coronavirus infection transmission: A systematic review and meta-analysis https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7497125/
RESULTS:
Cloth face masks show minimum efficacy in source control than the medical grade mask. The efficacy of cloth face masks filtration varies and depends on the type of material used, number of layers, and degree of moisture in mask and fitting of mask on face.
CONCLUSION:
Cloth face masks have limited efficacy in combating viral infection transmission. However, it may be used in closed, crowded indoor, and outdoor public spaces involving physical proximity to prevent spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
VERY IMPORTANT (Systematic review and meta-analysis) – Physio-metabolic and clinical consequences of wearing face masks—Systematic review with meta-analysis and comprehensive evaluation https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1125150/full
Authors found:
Discussion: Masks interfered with O2-uptake and CO2-release and compromised respiratory compensation. Though evaluated wearing durations are shorter than daily/prolonged use, outcomes independently validate mask-induced exhaustion-syndrome (MIES) and down-stream physio-metabolic disfunctions. MIES can have long-term clinical consequences, especially for vulnerable groups. So far, several mask related symptoms may have been misinterpreted as long COVID-19 symptoms. In any case, the possible MIES contrasts with the WHO definition of health.
Conclusion: Face mask side-effects must be assessed (risk-benefit) against the available evidence of their effectiveness against viral transmissions. In the absence of strong empirical evidence of effectiveness, mask wearing should not be mandated let alone enforced by law.
IMPORTANT (Literature review on masking harms) – Possible toxicity of chronic carbon dioxide exposure associated with face mask use, particularly in pregnant women, children and adolescents – A scoping review https://www.cell.com/heliyon/pdf/S2405-8440(23)01324-5.pdf Published online https://www.cell.com/heliyon/fulltext/S2405-8440(23)01324-5?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2405844023013245%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
Authors found:
Results
Fresh air has around 0.04% CO2, while wearing masks more than 5 min bears a possible chronic exposure to carbon dioxide of 1.41% to 3.2% of the inhaled air. Although the buildup is usually within the short-term exposure limits, long-term exceedances and consequences must be considered due to experimental data. US Navy toxicity experts set the exposure limits for submarines carrying a female crew to 0.8% CO2 based on animal studies which indicated an increased risk for stillbirths. Additionally, mammals who were chronically exposed to 0.3% CO2 the experimental data demonstrate a teratogenicity with irreversible neuron damage in the offspring, reduced spatial learning caused by brainstem neuron apoptosis and reduced circulating levels of the insulin-like growth factor-1. With significant impact on three readout parameters (morphological, functional, marker) this chronic 0.3% CO2 exposure has to be defined as being toxic. Additional data exists on the exposure of chronic 0.3% CO2 in adolescent mammals causing neuron destruction, which includes less activity, increased anxiety and impaired learning and memory. There is also data indicating testicular toxicity in adolescents at CO2 inhalation concentrations above 0.5%.
VERY IMPORTANT (No difference between surgical masks or N95 preventing Covid-19) – Medical Masks Versus N95 Respirators for Preventing COVID-19 Among Health Care Workers https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-1966
VERY IMPORTANT (Masking no discernable effect on school children) – Face mask recommendations in schools did not impact COVID-19 incidence among 10–12-year-olds in Finland – joinpoint regression analysis https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-023-15624-9
Authors found:
Results
In August, the ADPC was highest in Turku (3.9) and lowest in Tampere (2.0), while in September, the ADPC was highest in Turku (-0.3) and lowest in Helsinki (-3.2) among 10–12-year-olds. In October, the ADPC was highest in Helsinki (2.1) and lowest in Turku (-0.2) and in November, the ADPC was highest in Turku (4.1) and lowest in Tampere (-0.5) among 10–12-year-olds. We also calculated cumulative incidences from the beginning of August to the end of November in the cities by age groups of 7–9 years, 10–12 years, and 30–49 years. The cumulative incidence was highest in Turku in all age groups and lowest in Tampere.
Conclusions
According to our analysis, no additional effect was gained from mandating face masks, based on comparisons between the cities and between the age groups of the unvaccinated children (10–12 years versus 7–9 years).
IMPORTANT (Mask mandate increased intensive care unit (ICU) utilization and mortality) – Analysis of the Effects of COVID-19 Mask Mandates on Hospital Resource Consumption and Mortality at the County Level https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8395971/
Authors found:
From June 2, 2020 through August 12, 2020, there were 40,771 reported cases of COVID-19 within Bexar County, with 470 total deaths. The average number of new cases per day within the county was 565.4 (95% confidence interval [CI] 394.6–736.2). The average number of positive hospitalized patients was 754.1 (95% CI 657.2–851.0), in the ICU was 273.1 (95% CI 238.2–308.0), and on a ventilator was 170.5 (95% CI 146.4–194.6). The average deaths per day was 6.5 (95% CI 4.4–8.6). All of the measured outcomes were higher on average in the postmask period as were covariables included in the adjusted model. When adjusting for traffic activity, total statewide caseload, public health complaints, and mean temperature, the daily caseload, hospital bed occupancy, ICU bed occupancy, ventilator occupancy, and daily mortality remained higher in the postmask period.
IMPORTANT (Masks contribute to fatality rate) – The Foegen effect: A mechanism by which facemasks contribute to the COVID-19 case fatality rate https://journals.lww.com/md-journal/Fulltext/2022/02180/The_Foegen_effect__A_mechanism_by_which_facemasks.60.aspx
Authors found:
A parallelization analysis based on county-level data showed that in Kansas, counties with mask mandate had significantly higher case fatality rates than counties without mask mandate, with a risk ratio of 1.85 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.51–2.10) for COVID-19-related deaths. Even after adjusting for the number of “protected persons,” that is, the number of persons who were not infected in the mask-mandated group compared to the no-mask group, the risk ratio remained significantly high at 1.52 (95% CI: 1.24–1.72). By analyzing the excess mortality in Kansas, this study determines that over 95% of this effect can solely be attributed to COVID-19.
These findings suggest that mask use might pose a yet unknown threat to the user instead of protecting them, making mask mandates a debatable epidemiologic intervention.
The cause of this trend is explained herein using the “Foegen effect” theory; that is, deep re-inhalation of hypercondensed droplets or pure virions caught in facemasks as droplets can worsen prognosis and might be linked to long-term effects of COVID-19 infection. While the “Foegen effect” is proven in vivo in an animal model, further research is needed to fully understand it.
IMPORTANT (Mask usage was associated with either no effect or increased morbidity and mortality) – Correlation Between Mask Compliance and COVID-19 Outcomes in Europe https://www.cureus.com/articles/93826-correlation-between-mask-compliance-and-covid-19-outcomes-in-europe#!/
Author found:
Data from 35 European countries on morbidity, mortality, and mask usage during a six-month period were analysed and crossed. Mask usage was more homogeneous in Eastern Europe than in Western European countries. Spearman’s correlation coefficients between mask usage and COVID-19 outcomes were either null or positive, depending on the subgroup of countries and type of outcome (cases or deaths). Positive correlations were stronger in Western than in Eastern European countries. These findings indicate that countries with high levels of mask compliance did not perform better than those with low mask usage.
IMPORTANT – Evidence for Aerosol Transfer of SARS-CoV2-specific Humoral Immunity https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.28.22274443v1.full.pdf
IMPORTANT – Use of face masks did not impact COVID-19 incidence among 10–12-year-olds in Finland https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.04.22272833v1
IMPORTANT – Correlation Between Mask Compliance and COVID-19 Outcomes in Europe https://www.cureus.com/articles/93826-correlation-between-mask-compliance-and-covid-19-outcomes-in-europe
IMPORTANT – Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Acquisition in Health Care Workers According to Cumulative Patient Exposure and Preferred Mask Type https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2795150
1. Surgical mask / cloth face mask studies
Community and Close Contact Exposures Associated with COVID-19 Among Symptomatic Adults ≥18 Years in 11 Outpatient Health Care Facilities — United States, July 2020
The US Centre for Disease Control performed a study which showed that 85 percent of those who contracted Covid-19 during July 2020 were mask wearers. Just 3.9 percent of the study participants never wore a mask.
Original: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/pdfs/mm6936a5-H.pdf
Erratum. correction: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6938a7.htm?s_cid=mm6938a7_w https://www.theblaze.com/op-ed/horowitz-cdc-study-covid-masks
2. Facial protection for healthcare workers during pandemics: a scoping review
This study used 5462 peer-reviewed articles and 41 grey literature records.
“Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to critical shortages of medical-grade PPE. Alternative forms of facial protection offer inferior protection. More robust evidence is required on different types of medical-grade facial protection. As research on COVID-19 advances, investigators should continue to examine the impact on alternatives of medical-grade facial protection”
So how is your cloth and surgical mask working again if EVEN medical grade alternatives are failing ?
Study Article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32371574/
3. Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses
“There is moderate certainty evidence that wearing a mask probably makes little or no difference to the outcome of laboratory-confirmed influenza compared to not wearing a mask”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33215698/
4. Disposable surgical face masks for preventing surgical wound infection in clean surgery
“We included three trials, involving a total of 2106 participants. There was no statistically significant difference in infection rates between the masked and unmasked group in any of the trials”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27115326/
5. Disposable surgical face masks: a systematic review
Two randomized controlled trials were included involving a total of 1453 patients. In a small trial there was a trend towards masks being associated with fewer infections, whereas in a large trial there was no difference in infection rates between the masked and unmasked group.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16295987/
6. Evaluating the efficacy of cloth facemasks in reducing particulate matter exposure
“Our results suggest that cloth masks are only marginally beneficial in protecting individuals from particles<2.5 μm”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27531371/
7. Face seal leakage of half masks and surgical masks
“The filtration efficiency of the filter materials was good, over 95%, for particles above 5 micron in diameter but great variation existed for smaller particles.
Coronavirus is 0.125 microns. therefore these masks wouldn’t protect you from the virus”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4014006/
8. Comparison of the Filter Efficiency of Medical Nonwoven Fabrics against Three Different Microbe Aerosols
“The filter efficiencies against influenza virus particles were the lowest”
“We conclude that the filter efficiency test using the phi-X174 phage aerosol may overestimate the protective performance of nonwoven fabrics with filter structure compared to that against real pathogens such as the influenza virus”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29910210/
9. Aerosol penetration through surgical masks
“Although surgical mask media may be adequate to remove bacteria exhaled or expelled by health care workers, they may not be sufficient to remove the submicrometer-size aerosols containing pathogens ”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1524265/
10. Particle removal from air by face masks made from Sterilization Wraps: Effectiveness and Reusability
“We found that 60 GSM face mask had particle capture efficiency of 94% for total particles greater than 0.3 microns”
How big is the virus again? 0.125 microns.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33052962/
11. A New Method for Testing Filtration Efficiency of Mask Materials Under Sneeze-like Pressure
This study states that “alternatives” like silk and gauze etc could possibly be good options in the pandemic. It’s done on starch particles.
Does not state how big they are either, but they can still get through the material and my research points out that starch particles are “big”, much bigger than most viruses.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32503823/
12. Protecting staff against airborne viral particles: in vivo efficiency of laser masks
“The laser mask provided significantly less protection than the FFP2 respirator (P=0.02), and only marginally more protection than the surgical mask. The continued use of laser masks for respiratory protection is questionable. Taping masks to the face only provided a small improvement in protection”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16920222/
13. Quantitative Method for Comparative Assessment of Particle Removal Efficiency of Fabric Masks as Alternatives to Standard Surgical Masks for PPE
“Worn as designed, both commercial surgical masks and cloth masks had widely varying effectiveness (53 – 75 percent and 28 – 91 percent particle removal efficiency, respectively)”. Different brand, different results and only when they applied “nylon layers” did the “efficiency” improve. Synthetic fibres do not breathe, so this will inevitably effect your breathing.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32838296/
14. The efficacy of standard surgical face masks: an investigation using “tracer particles”
“Since the microspheres were not identified on the exterior of these face masks, they must have escaped around the mask edges and found their way into the wound”. Human albumin cells, aka aborted fetal tissue, is much larger than the virus and still escaped the mask.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7379387/
15. Testing the efficacy of homemade masks: would they protect in an influenza pandemic?
“Our findings suggest that a homemade mask should only be considered as a last resort to prevent droplet transmission from infected individuals” so why has the government suggested you make your own when they are not effective ?
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24229526/
16. Using half-facepiece respirators for H1N1
“Increasing the filtration level of a particle respirator does not increase the respirator’s ability to reduce a user’s exposure to contaminants”
17. Why Masks Don’t Work Against COVID-19
The site is full of studies proving masks dont work for coronavirus or the flu.
Article: https://www.citizensforfreespeech.org/why_masks_don_t_work_against_covid_19?fbclid=IwAR0Qviyvt6BObOg aMij03Cj0fgTcm_gm5jhXcMkO8GcH3Kur-bwib0o8rf8
18. Masks Don’t Work: A Review of Science Relevant to COVID-19 Social Policy
This is full of studies proving mask protection is negligible for coronavirus, flu etc.
Article: https://www.rcreader.com/commentary/masks-dont-work-covid-a-review-of-science-relevant-to-covide- 19-social-policy?fbclid=IwAR0Qviyvt6BObOgaMij03Cj0fgTcm_gm5jhXcMkO8GcH3Kur-bwib0o8rf8
19. Face masks to prevent transmission of influenza virus: a systematic review
There is less data to support the use of face masks or respirators to prevent becoming infected.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20092668/
20. “Exercise with facemask; Are we handling a devil’s sword?” – A physiological hypothesis
No evidence to suggest that wearing a mask during exercise offers any benefit from the droplet transfer from the virus.
“Exercising with facemasks may reduce available Oxygen and increase air trapping preventing substantial carbon dioxide exchange. The hypercapnic hypoxia may potentially increase acidic environment,cardiac overload, anaerobic metabolism and renal overload, which may substantially aggravate the underlying pathology of established chronic diseases”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32590322/
21. Use of face masks by non-scrubbed operating room staff: a randomized controlled trial
Surgical site infection rates did not increase when non-scrubbed personnel did not wear face masks.
2010 Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20575920/
22. Surgical face masks in modern operating rooms – a costly and unnecessary ritual?
When the wearing of face masks by non-scrubbed staff working in an operating room with forced ventilation seems to be unnecessary.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1680906/
23. Masks: a ward investigation and review of the literature
Wearing multi layer operating room masks for every visit had no effect on nose and throat carriage rates.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2873176/
24. Aerosol penetration and leakage characteristics of masks used in the health care industry
The protection provided by surgical masks may be insufficient in environments containing potentially hazardous submirconometer-sized aerosols.
“Conclusion: We conclude that the protection provided by surgical masks may be insufficient in environments containing potentially hazardous submicrometer-sized aerosols”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8239046/
25. Masks for prevention of viral respiratory infections among health care workers and the public: PEER umbrella systematic review
Meta analysis review that says there is limited evidence to suggest that the use of masks may reduce the risk of spreading viral respiratory infections.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32675098/
26. Modeling of the Transmission of Coronaviruses, Measles Virus, Influenza Virus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Legionella pneumophila in Dental Clinics
Evidence to suggest that transmission probability is strongly driven by indoor air quality, followed by patient effectiveness and the least by respiratory protection via mask use.
So this could explain “second waves” and has nothing to do with hand shaking, or not wearing a mask.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32614681/
27. Nonpharmaceutical Measures for Pandemic Influenza in Nonhealthcare Settings-Personal Protective and Environmental Measures
The use of face masks, either by infected or non infected peresons, does not have a significant effect on influenza transmission.
SO MASKS DON’T PROTECT YOU FROM ME, AND VICE VERSA.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32027586/
28. Effectiveness of personal protective measures in reducing pandemic influenza transmission: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Meta analyses suggest that regular hand hygiene provided a significant protective effect over face masks and their insignificant protection.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28487207/
29. Effectiveness of N95 respirators versus surgical masks against influenza: A systematic review and meta- analysis
Use of n95 respirators compared to surgical masks is not associated with a lower risk of laboratory confirmed influenza.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32167245/
30. Adolescents’ face mask usage and contact transmission in novel Coronavirus
Face mask surfaces can become contamination sources. People are storing them in their pockets, bags, putting them on tables, people are reusing them etc. This is why this study is relevant:
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32582579/
31. Visualizing the effectiveness of face masks in obstructing respiratory jets
Loosely folded face masks and “bandana style” face coverings provide minimum stopping capability for the smallest aerosolized droplets.
This applies to anyone who folds or shoves a mask into their pockets or bag. It also applies to cloth and homemade cloth masks:
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32624649/
32. Use of surgical face masks to reduce the incidence of the common cold among health care workers in Japan: a randomized controlled trial
Face mask use in healthcare workers has not been demonstrated to provide benefit in terms of colds symptoms or getting colds.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19216002/
33. A cluster randomised trial of cloth masks compared with medical masks in healthcare workers
Penetration of cloth masks by influenza particles was almost 97 percent and medical masks 44 percent. so cloth masks are essentially useless, and “medical grade” masks don’t provide adequate protection.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25903751/
34. Simple respiratory protection–evaluation of the filtration performance of cloth masks and common fabric materials against 20-1000 nm size particles
Cloth masks and other fabric materials tested in the study had 40-90 percent instantaneous penetration levels against polydisperse NaCl aerosols.
“Results obtained in the study show that common fabric materials may provide marginal protection against nanoparticles, including those in the size ranges of virus-containing particles in exhaled breath”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20584862/
35. Respiratory performance offered by N95 respirators and surgical masks: human subject evaluation with NaCl aerosol representing bacterial and viral particle size range
“The study indicates that N95 filtering facepiece respirators may not achieve the expected protection level against bacteria and viruses”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18326870/
36. Do N95 respirators provide 95% protection level against airborne viruses, and how adequate are surgical masks?
The n95 filtering respirators may not provide expected protection level against small virons
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16490606/
37. Do Surgical Masks Stop the Coronavirus?
Study article: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/01/coronavirus-surgical-masks-china.html
38. Effectiveness of personal protective measures in reducing pandemic influenza transmission: A systematic review and meta-analysis
This study states that an N95, depending on the brand, can range from 0.1-0.3 microns. however, most people cannot buy an N95 with a micron smaller than 0.3 micron because they are expensive and not readily available on the public market.
“N95 respirators made by different companies were found to have different filtration efficiencies for the most penetrating particle size (0.1 to 0.3 micron)”
“Above the most penetrating particle size the filtration efficiency increases with size; it reaches approximately 99.5% or higher at about 0.75 micron”
“Meta-analyses suggest that regular hand hygiene provided a significant protective effect (OR=0.62; 95% CI 0.52-0.73; I2=0%), and facemask use provided a non-significant protective effect (OR=0.53; 95% CI 0.16-1.71; I2=48%) against 2009 pandemic influenza infection”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28487207/
39. Effectiveness of N95 respirators versus surgical masks against influenza: A systematic review and meta- analysis
“The use of N95 respirators compared with surgical masks is not associated with a lower risk of laboratory- confirmed influenza. It suggests that N95 respirators should not be recommended for the general public or non high-risk medical staff who are not in close contact with influenza patients or suspected patients”
N95 masks did show a positive effect for BACTERIA but not viruses.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32167245/
40. Adolescents’ face mask usage and contact transmission in novel Coronavirus
This study used dye to show if masks were contaminated. “As a result, masks surface becomes a contamination source. In the contact experiment, ten adults were requested to put on and off a surgical mask while doing a word processing task. The extended contamination areas were recorded and identified by image analysis”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32582579/
41. Use of surgical face masks to reduce the incidence of the common cold among health care workers in Japan: a randomized controlled trial
“Of the 8 symptoms recorded daily, subjects in the mask group were significantly more likely to experience headache during the study period”
“Face mask use in health care workers has not been demonstrated to provide benefit in terms of cold symptoms or getting colds”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19216002/
42. Effectiveness of Adding a Mask Recommendation to Other Public Health Measures to Prevent SARS CoV-2 Infection in Danish Mask Wearers : A Randomized Controlled Trial
“The recommendation to wear surgical masks to supplement other public health measures did not reduce the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate among wearers by more than 50 percent in a community with modest infection rates, some degree of social distancing, and uncommon general mask use”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33205991/
43. A cluster randomised trial of cloth masks compared with medical masks in healthcare workers
“An analysis of mask use showed ILI (RR=6.64, 95 percent CI 1.45 to 28.65) and laboratory-confirmed virus (RR=1.72, 95 percent CI 1.01 to 2.94) were significantly higher in the cloth masks group compared with the medical masks group. Penetration of cloth masks by particles was almost 97 percent and medical masks 44 percent”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25903751/
44. Respiratory performance offered by N95 respirators and surgical masks: human subject evaluation with NaCl aerosol representing bacterial and viral particle size range
“The study indicates that N95 filtering facepiece respirators may not achieve the expected protection level against bacteria and viruses. An exhalation valve on the N95 respirator does not affect the respiratory protection”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18326870/
45. Performance of N95 respirators: filtration efficiency for airborne microbial and inert particles
Coronavirus is 0.125 micron, as you can read in this study, it states that most N95 masks can only filter particles as small as 0.75 microns. This is too big to trap this virus. that is a fact.
And even with an efficiency of 95 percent (depending on brand, so filtration may be lower) IF the virus can be trapped… it’s still missing 5 percent and maybe more based on an N95 that has 0.1 microns .
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9487666/
CORONAVIRUSES ARE 0.125 MICRON. SO THE BEST N95 ON THE MARKET WOULD DO NOTHING .
46. A Novel Coronavirus from Patients with Pneumonia in China, 2019
A chinese study that proves that an airborne coronavirus particle (0.125 micron) can pass directly through an n95 mask
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31978945/
47. Airborne coronavirus particle (<0.125 micron) will pass directly through a N95 face mask.
Study article: https://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/airborne-coronavirus-particle
SIZE OF THE CORONAVIRUS: Size can vary but all are smaller than 0.3 micron .
“Human coronaviruses measure between 0.1 and 0.2 microns, which is one to two times below the cutoff” This “cut off” is referring to the size an N95 mask can trap. Most of us, are not using MEDICAL or regular N95s.
FACE MASK SIDE EFFECTS AND HEALTH IMPLICATIONS
1. Preliminary report on surgical mask induced deoxygenation during major surgery
Face mask side effects include lowered oxygen levels.
This study proved that surgeons that wore a mask in surgery for an hour + had significant reductions in blood oxygen saturation.
This is relevant because most of us are being made to wear face masks at work for the whole shift, long journeys on public transport, and when we are in a public places doing shopping etc. and this requires a degree of exertion that is not taken into account.
“Considering our findings, pulse rates of the surgeon’s increase and SpO2 decrease after the first hour.”
Decreasing oxygen and increasing carbon dioxide in the bloodstream stimulates a compensatory response in the respiratory centers of the brain. These changes in blood gases result in increases in both frequency and depth of breaths. This exposes another risk – if your mask traps some virus you are breathing more hence increasing viral load and exposure.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1130147308702355?via%3Dihub
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18500410/
2. Impact of structural features on dynamic breathing resistance of healthcare face mask
Face mask side effects include impeded breathing.
Ask people if they have issues breathing in these masks. anecdotal or not, as everyone is different.
“The results showed that each evaluation index was significantly different (P < 0.05) among different test
masks”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31280156/
3. Respiratory consequences of N95-type Mask usage in pregnant healthcare workers-a controlled clinical study
The benefits of using N95 mask to prevent serious emerging infectious diseases should be weighed against potential respiratory consequences associated with extended N95 respirator usage.
“Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26579222
“It is known that the N95 mask, if worn for hours, can reduce blood oxygenation as much as 20 percent, which can lead to a loss of consciousness, as happened to the hapless fellow driving aroundalone in his car wearing an N95 mask, causing him to pass out, crash his car and sustain injuries. I am sure that we have several cases of elderly individuals or any person with poor lung function passing out, hitting their head. This, of course, can lead to death”
“CONCLUSIONS: Breathing through N95 mask materials have been shown to impede gaseous exchange and impose an additional workload on the metabolic system of pregnant healthcare workers,and this needs to be taken into consideration in guidelines for respirator use”
Yet we force pregnant women to use them…? What could this do to the fetus?
4. Headaches and the N95 face-mask amongst healthcare providers
Face mask side effects include headaches.
These headaches can force you to use added or unnecessary medications like painkillers that carry their own side effects. The theory as to why masks can trigger headaches is the RESTRICTION OF OXYGEN.
What are the long-term health effects on Health Care Workers with headaches arising from impeded breathing?
Here are several sources and studies that back up this claim:
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16441251/
Headaches Associated With Personal Protective Equipment – A Cross-Sectional Study Among Frontline Healthcare Workers During COVID-19
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32232837/
How to Avoid Migraine Triggers While Wearing Your Mask
https://www.withcove.com/learn/migraine-triggers-mask
5. Use of surgical face masks to reduce the incidence of the common cold among health care workers in Japan: a randomized controlled trial
“Of the 8 symptoms recorded daily, subjects in the mask group were significantly more likely to experience headaches during the study period”
“Face mask use in health care workers has not been demonstrated to provide benefit in terms of cold symptoms or getting colds”
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19216002/
6. Your Health Your Responsibility
This video shows that even reading a book with a mask on decreases blood oxygen levels to your brain. what implications does this have for developing children forced to wear masks at school etc?
https://youtu.be/ul5E5BUrII4
7. Physiological impact of the N95 filtering facepiece respirator on healthcare workers
“CONCLUSIONS: In healthy healthcare workers, FFR did not impose any important physiological burden during 1 hour of use, at realistic clinical work rates, but the FFR dead-space carbon dioxide andoxygen levels were significantly above and below, respectively, the ambient workplace standards, and elevated P(CO2) is a possibility”
Remember in “healthy healthcare workers” even their carbon dioxide levels rose. Most of the wider public have at least one health problem. Even healthy people were shown to have elevated CO2 levelsabove the healthy guidelines.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20420727/
8. The adverse skin reactions of health care workers using personal protective equipment for COVID-19
Face mask side effects include adverse skin reactions
The adverse skin reactions of health care workers using personal protective equipment for COVID-19
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32541493/
9. Your Mask May Be Causing Candida Growth in Your Mouth
Face mask side effects include yeast infections
10. ‘Mask mouth’ is a seriously stinky side effect of wearing masks
Face mask side effects include dental issues.
“We’re seeing inflammation in people’s gums that have been healthy forever, and cavities in people who have never had them before,” says Dr. Rob Ramondi, a dentist and co-founder of One ManhattanDental. “About 50 percent of our patients are being impacted by this, [so] we decided to name it ‘mask mouth’ — after ‘meth mouth.’ ”
“While mask mouth isn’t quite as obvious, if left untreated, the results could be equally harmful.
Gum disease — or periodontal disease — will eventually lead to strokes and an increased risk of heart attacks,”
says Dr. Marc Sclafani, another co-founder of One Manhattan Dental”
https://nypost.com/2020/08/05/mask-mouth-is-a-seriously-stinky-side-effect-of-wearing-masks/
11. All That Mask-Wearing Could Be Giving You (Gasp!) Mouth Fungus—Here’s How to Deal With it https://www.wellandgood.com/mouth-sores-from-wearing-masks/embed/#?secret=wy7s54qqbO
12. ‘Maskne’ Is a Real Thing—Here’s How to Stop Face Mask Breakouts
Face mask side effects include acne
13. Improper use of medical masks can cause infections Face mask side effects include mould and infections
Masks can cause bacterial and fungal infections around the mouth,and in the mouth and lungs EVEN if you wash the cloth mask. Mould colonies were found in masks in as little as one day.
14. Mould Colonization in Your Sinuses Could Be Holding You Back From Making a Full Recovery <
Information on mould and how it can affect your health.
https://moldfreeliving.com/2019/01/26/could-mold-colonization-in-your-sinuses/
15. An investigation into the efficiency of disposable face masks
What are the dangers of bacterial and fungal growths on a used and loaded mask?
This study tested all kinds of disposable masks and proved they cause you to breathe back in your own crap. Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7440756/
16. Can the Elastic of Surgical Face Masks Stimulate Ear Protrusion in Children?
Disfiguration in children. Can masks stimulate ear protrusion in children?
This is due to masks that are too tightly fitted.
Tight masks can also cause tension headaches. Is this healthy for children long term?
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32556449/
17. When You Wear A Face Mask Every Day, This Is What Happens To Your Lungs
Mask use can trigger allergies due to the mask collecting particles that stay on you for long periods of time.
https://www.thelist.com/214073/when-you-wear-a-face-mask-every-day-this-is-what-happens-to-your-lungs/
18. The physiological impact of wearing an N95 mask during hemodialysis as a precaution against SARS in patients with end-stage renal disease
The physiological impact of wearing an N95 mask during hemodialysis as a precaution against SARS in patients with end-stage renal disease.
And yet, we make sick people wear them. Even people without breathing issues, have lowered oxygen rates.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15340662/
19. Other Face Mask Side Effects and Health Implications to Consider
There is a great potential for harm that may arise from public policies forcing mask use on the wider population.
The following unanswered questions arise unanswered:
- Can masks shed fibers or micro plastics that we can breathe in?
- Do these masks excrete chemical substances that are harmful when inhaled?
- Can masks excrete chemicals or fumes when heated, either with bodyheat sunlight or other sources of heat?
- Clothing dye can cause reactions, so how do we know that the manufacturing process of these masks do not pose a risk to us? Because, in reality, we do not buy our masks from medical companiesor facilities who operate in sterile environments.
20. [Gaps in asepsis due to surgical caps, face masks, external surfaces of infusion bottles and sterile wrappers of disposable articles]
“It is obvious that the surfaces of the boxes of sterile packed disposable instruments and infusion bottles are not sterile. The disposable surgical masks and surgical caps used for sterile clothing are delivered by the producers not sterile, either.” AND THIS IS HOSPITAL EQUIPMENT.
Study article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6099666/
21. Mask Production Video
This is a “factory” that produces alot of masks. Does this look a sterile environment to you? This is what the majority of us are getting when we purchase online or in stores that sell them in bulk. Do you wantthat on your face?
https://youtu.be/8gyO9TSlC0Q
22. Allergies and the Immune System
Can pathogen-laden droplets interact with environmental dust and aerosols captured on the mask? Can this elicit a greater reaction to viruses? For example, if you have a dust allergy your mask is collecting this thus causing inflamation to the wearer and lowering his or her immune system.
“This can cause wheezing, itching, runny nose, watery or itchy eyes, and other symptoms” would that not
facilitate spread and infection rate of viruses?
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/allergies-and-the-immune-system
23. Virus interactions with bacteria: Partners in the infectious dance
Bacteria and viruses can interact an increase infection suseptability:
https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1008234
24. When viruses and bacteria unite!
25. An empirical and theoretical investigation into the psychological effects of wearing a mask
Face mask side effects include altered behaviour
Are there negative social consequences to a masked society? This study implies that, yes, masks do cause people to adopt altered behaviours based on mask use.
https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/43402/
26. Mask mandates may affect a child’s emotional, intellectual development
Face mask side effects stagnate a child’s natural intellectual development. It is well known that children find it hard to recognise faces up until a certain age. Mask use will further interfere with this. Is this healthy for a developing child?
https://www.wishtv.com/news/mask-mandates-may-affect-a-childs-emotional-intellectual-development/
27. Disabled People and Masks Contributing Toward Mental Health Issues
Face mask side effects and mental health
What about disabled people? Deaf /people hard of hearing rely on mouth reading. What are the implications for them? What about people who suffer cognitive and behavioural disorders like autism? This could cause them HUGE distress. Not just from wearing a mask, but seeing others in masks (because let’s face it – IT’S NOT NORMAL BEHAVIOUR).
Can masks cause anxiety, or make other mental health disorders worse?
Since masks CAN impede breathing, this can cause fainting and other bodily reaction that would otherwise be avoided if masks were not used. Here is a search engine link to prove that it is very common:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=mask+anxiety&ia=web
28. Maine study looks into long-term psychological effects of wearing face masks coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic
This is a study on the psychological effects of masks.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/umaine-study-looks-into-long-term-psychological-effects-of- wearing-face-masks-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/ar-BB13EfiU
29. Masks: Have You Been Captured by This Psyop?
Are there negative psychological consequences to wearing a mask, as a fear-based behavioral modification? This can easily trigger fear as a mask is reminding you there’s a virus. The use of mask can also cause you to engage in risky behaviours due to a “false sense of security” because you feel protected.
30. Masking the Truth – Face Masks, Empathy and Dis-inhibition
31. Covid-19 face masks: A potential source of microplastic fibers in the environment
What are the environmental consequences of mask manufacturing and disposal?
Proof of increased littering due to increased mask use. a quick engine search will tell you, people are dumping them EVERYWHERE – into our rivers, into greenland areas etc. Plastics like nylon leach chemicals are going into our environment.
32. Why Masks Don’t Work Against COVID-19
Can used and loaded masks become vectors of enhanced transmission for both the wearer and other people? (The evidence from studies suggest yes). Masks become useless after about 20 minutes due to the moisture in your breath. This moisture can become the droplets that viruses travel on. Can this not facilitate transmission?
Can masks become collectors and retainers of pathogens that otherwise, could be avoided when breathing without a mask? (The evidence suggests yes).
Can large droplets trapped via a mask become atomized or aerosolized into breathable components? Even down to the virion size. (The evidence suggests yes).
https://www.citizensforfreespeech.org/why_masks_don_t_work_against_covid_19
LifeSiteNews has produced an extensive COVID-19 vaccines resources page. View it here.