Posted on 09/15/2023 7:41:17 PM PDT by lightman
A medical group issued a warning this week about wearing masks for respiratory viruses such as COVID-19, arguing that studies show they don't prevent their spread and instead violate patients' rights to informed consent.
"As mask mandates are contrary to the fundamental medical principle of informed consent, all masking mandates currently in place must be rescinded, and no future mandates should be imposed," the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, a longtime conservative-aligned medical group, said in a statement, likely responding to recent hospital mask mandates that were reimposed in August.
The group made reference to research, including a recent paper from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews that concluded numerous studies "did not show a clear reduction in respiratory viral infection with the use of medical/surgical masks," while 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."
In contrast, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health agencies have said that masking is effective and have cited several studies for the claim. Previously, the CDC had recommended masking across a broad range of settings amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and it also maintained an emergency order requiring the wearing of masks on public transportation, which was struck down by a judge last year.
Disagreement Over Safety
The federal public health emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic expired in May.
But over the years, there have been numerous studies from around the world that have shown that masking may not be effective. Other studies have also shown that there are downsides to wearing face coverings and masks, which—if worn for a lengthy period of time—can cause impaired cognition, skin problems, and headaches, according to the physicians' group.
It also made note of a recent paper, citing experimental data, that has shown that "carbon dioxide content in inhaled air rises on average to 13,000 to 13,750 ppm no matter whether children wear a surgical or an FFP2 mask," which "is far beyond the level of 2,000 ppm considered the limit of acceptability and beyond the 1,000 ppm that are normal for air in closed rooms."
In children, masking can be detrimental to a child's speech and language development, while "society requires facial recognition as a most basic component of interaction and communication," according to the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons.
"Studies in individuals with age-related macular degeneration have shown that 'poor face perception in AMD is an important domain contributing to impaired social interactions and quality of life,'" the organization said. "Voluntary masking with no gain contributes to societal alienation."
The warning comes as a handful of U.S. hospitals, schools, offices, and at least one county government has required face masks amid a small increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations.
New Mandates
On Friday, the University of Chicago Medical Center in Illinois announced that employees are mandated to wear masks while dealing with patients. Starting in August, several hospitals in Upstate New York, California, and Massachusetts issued mask mandates, although several of the facilities did not require them for patients or visitors, only staff.
In August, a liberal arts college in Atlanta confirmed it had reinstated a temporary mask mandate in response to what it said were student infections. The college later rescinded the rule after two weeks, the college's president told news outlets in early September.
Most recently, an elementary school in Montgomery County, Maryland, announced that it would require masks for a kindergarten class after it said several students tested positive for the virus. That drew outcry from several conservatives on social media, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
“To be clear, the rumors of a federal mask mandate are not true,” Jeff Nesbit, assistant secretary for public affairs for Health and Human Services, told The Associated Press. “We now have a range of tools for people to protect themselves from the impact of COVID-19, including vaccines, at-home testing and treatments. Masking is one of several steps people may choose to take to protect themselves if they wish.”
Previously, officials with the CDC and the Transportation Security Administration have told news outlets, including The Epoch Times, that no discussions about mask mandates or lockdowns have been held.
When the CDC recommended new COVID-19 vaccine shots for nearly all Americans over the age of six months, the agency's director, Mandy Cohen, was asked by reporters about whether mandates are on the table.
"What I see is I don’t see any need for mandates or those kinds of things right now. But we have to keep watching this virus, seeing how it changes, and if we need to make other recommendations, we will," the CDC director said on Tuesday.
When facing hazards, the N-95 mask could be used, but only after ensuring proper seal and negative pressure by following a three-step procedure. Then after a half hour he had to leave the area and reestablish the seal with a new mask. Masks could only prevent receiving and never prevent spreading biological agents
From: Retain Mike Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2021 3:26 PM To: keri.lopez@redmondschools.org Subject: Mask Mandate
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) proclaimed its latest policy about masks and our governor mandated wearing by children as school began.
However, the best science the CDC could provide was uncontrolled studies highlighting first such groups as 139 hairdresser clients, 382 sailors on the U.S.S. Roosevelt, 124 Beijing households, and 839 Thailand residents subject to contact tracing. All results came from observation followed by personal judgement, and none resulted from the mathematical disciplines used to rigorously evaluate complex environments.
In the same article the CDC disparaged the 2020 randomized controlled trial (RCT) in Denmark involving 4,862 participants, which found no benefit to wearing masks to prevent infection. The disciplines of a RCT divides participants into different groups on a randomized basis. Random assignment means that factors not specifically controlled can cancel each other out by appearing equally in both groups. One group receives the treatment (which in this case was the mask) and the other group does not. Researchers can isolate the one variable and are not able to introduce biases to produce a preferred outcome.
RCT’s are considered the highest standard for this type of research. Therefore, the most reasonable approach for the CDC would have been to consider this study as a benchmark against which others would be evaluated, including studies from other countries which found masks ineffective and even harmful.
The above represents an especially valid approach, since the first four combined citations from their May scientific brief had less than half the participants of the Danish study. The proposed approach is especially valid also because the CDC dismissed the study for involving only .001 of Denmark’s population. At the same time polls predicting the decisions of 150,000,000 voters in a national election were determined by less than 1,500 participants or less than .00001.
Do Masks Work?
https://www.city-journal.org/do-masks-work-a-review-of-the-evidence?wallit_nosession=1
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
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33205991/
Science Brief: Community Use of Cloth Masks to Control the Spread of SARS-CoV-2
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-briefs/masking-science-sars-cov2.htm
Absence of Apparent Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from Two Stylists After Exposure at a Hair Salon with a Universal Face Covering Policy — Springfield, Missouri, May 2020
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6928e2.htm
Surgeon Shows CDC Top Evidence On Why Wearing Masks Work
https://freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/3988508/posts
Face masks for children: Both ineffective and dangerous
https://www.wnd.com/2021/09/face-masks-children-ineffective-dangerous/
All the tragic potential harms of face masks
https://www.wnd.com/2021/09/tragic-potential-harms-face-masks/
Sick people know masks are worthless and decide it is best to stay home when feeling I’ll.
I CHOSE to get vaccinated (but not “boo$ted”!)....my CHOICE.
If the vaccination is even half of what it is claimed to be I really don’t give a rat’s rump whether anyone else is vaccinated or unvaccinated, masked or unmasked, coughing or calm, close or distant!
I am pro VOLUNTARY vax.
I am barely tolerant VOLUNTARY mask.
I am anti MANDATORY vax.
I am vehemently anti MANDATORY mask.
I have ZERO need to “feel safe” on the basis that everyone in a venue, a health care facility, or any other place has dutifully shown their papers.
America will remain “the land of the free” ONLY if we demonstrate that we are “the home of the brave”!
[[In contrast, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health agencies have said that masking is effective]]
bs- nearly everyone that caught covid was wearing masks because of the idiotic mask mandates- the came into contact with OTHER MASK WEARING COVID victims, and caught it from them!
Masks ensure that Coup-flu cooties remain tightly against one’s airway, instead of truly exhaled the way that nature and nature’s God intended.
My previous job chose a new human resources staff to ‘train’ us on the N-95. I read and read before the training. I already knew that if you wear it properly, you breathe in your own C02. The directions recommend pulling the mask away from your face to catch a fresh breath. The new HR staff had apparently not read any directions. When someone asked about feeling dizzy, they stated ‘just pull the mask and breathe.’ She should have said, go outside, away from the clients, and then breathe fresh air.
Very soon after, everything was phone and video from home. In a video staff meeting, I witnessed one staff wearing a mask. I knew they were single, and no one else was in their home. Oh, well. Reminds me of the guy in the very nice Mercedes convertible. He was wearing a mask with the top down, no one else in the car. Yep.
Vaccines violate informed consent when the risks are not adequately disclosed or the person is coerced into receiving the vaccine. They are injecting a drug or chemical into your body without real consent. Mask mandates are a harder case, but if you are prevented from accessing essential services without masking, it may be a similar analysis.
Or if you are preventing from patient visitation there may well be ADA and First Amendment issues.
I think exactly same as you.
The maskerbators only want “egalite” and “fraternite”....IOW, everyone equally miserable.
A two legged platform must fall.
Only with “liberte” can stability be achieved.
Pro-mask radicals never took or understood geometry in grade school. A chain linked fence doesn’t stop a mosquito.
It’s worse than that.
Muzzles are fomites.
Every time I had the misfortune to step foot in a health system while the muzzles mandate in NYS was on, I saw employees violating their own infection control protocols with regard to the damn things.
Despite the fact that the hallway walls and cubicles were papered with posters on the proper protocol.
And sometimes the violations were egregious.
masks
it was never about health
it was stealth tyranny
do not comply
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