Countering The ‘Love Your Neighbor’ Argument For Mask Wearing

Townhall ^ | 8 June A.D. 2020 | Scott Morefield

[lightman]

To mask or not to mask? That’s the question many of us are constantly asking ourselves as we go about our days in various public and non-public spaces, right? Does this store require masks? What about this restaurant or salon? Sure there’s a sign (there’s usually a sign), but will they really enforce it? What about a trip to the park or the local biking trail? Will you be accosted by some mask-shaming Karen if you go for a walk outside?

Even for those of us who know it’s mostly nonsense, the sense of others’ negative perception can be real, especially if you live in an area where most people are wearing them (thankfully, I do not). Certainly, no normal person wants to give any sickness, much less coronavirus, to anyone else if they can help it. Nevertheless, a significant percentage of people believe the latest “precaution” our overlords want to force us to take - forced universal masking - is, for the many reasons I listed last week and more, a bridge too far (although I also would agree that there are limited situations and places where masks might still be appropriate).

As the debate rages, most pro-universal masking arguments can be fairly easily countered. Most. But one of the more effective, yet frustrating, arguments mask proponents use, particularly those leftists and liberal Christians who know how to conveniently turn a Bible phrase to make their own point, is that wearing masks is all about “loving your neighbor.”

“I wear my mask to protect you, and you wear your mask to protect me,” about a zillion people with newly-masked Twitter profiles sanctimoniously proclaim. What a “good person” they must think they are, and they want to make sure everyone else knows it too. You can almost see the syrup dripping from their voices as they say the words with a condescending, self-righteous smirk, as if their position makes them somehow morally superior to everyone who disagrees.

Even in my (mostly) anti-mask stance, I’ve always contended that nobody’s choice on whether to wear a mask or not should be ridiculed. But these folks don’t take that position. Instead, by insisting that mask-wearing is all about loving one’s neighbor, they can’t help but imply, even if they don’t mean to, that those who avoid wearing masks do not, well, love their neighbors. And that implied charge can be difficult to deal with because most people, deep down, want to be perceived by others as a ‘good person.’ Whether Christian or not, most of us want to love others well and be reciprocated in kind, and the desire to avoid public scorn is a powerful motivator that doubtless forces many to comply with the mask-wearing nonsense despite reality, science, and common sense.

In order to come anywhere close to “loving one’s neighbor,” it stands to reason that mask wearing would need to, 1.) actually work, 2.) actually protect against a clear and present serious danger, and 3.) not be dangerous in any way to the wearer. Last week, I addressed and provided multiple resources pointing to evidence for why it doesn’t meet any of those criteria.

In life, at least if you’re not a leftist, some things are simply wrong or right. For example, it’s morally wrong to steal, rape, or commit murder. But there are also shades of nuance around our moral standards. It’s wrong to ‘hate’ your neighbor, of course, but what exactly does ‘loving’ your neighbor entail? If your neighbor refuses to work, should you feed them or pay their rent over and over to the detriment of your own family? Now, let’s really jump in. If your neighbor has an unfounded, irrational belief, is it “loving” to cater to that belief by pretending it’s real? As an extreme example, say your neighbor believes that zombie cats have taken over the planet and not only refuses to come outside but thinks the only way to keep them at bay is for everyone to shave their head. Should you shave your head? It’s a simple thing, really, when it comes down to it. It would cost you very little. So, should you? The answer, obviously, is no, because catering to irrational beliefs just gives credence to fear and other damages such beliefs can cause.

Today, of course, we find ourselves in a situation where most people seem to believe the coronavirus is something akin to the black plague. That percentage is thankfully declining as people wake up and begin to question our overlords, in no small part thanks to their recent contention that this ‘woke’ virus is apparently down with Black Lives Matter but not with demonstrations to keep business owners’ kids fed. Who knew?

But still, there are plenty of people whose fears of this virus, though justified at first, are clearly irrational and unwarranted. I’m obviously not talking about the elderly and medically vulnerable, but I am referring to a hefty percentage of 99.5 percent of the population that believes the virus is dangerous to them when it’s not. They also now think that wearing a cloth face covering, something the New England Journal of Medicine has clearly said is little more than a “talisman,” will adequately protect society from this “plague.” Recommended This Leftist Tantrum Is an Information Operation and Trump Is Winning It Kurt Schlichter

With no vaccine coming anytime soon, if ever, are we as a society really ready to accept in-and-out lockdowns, forever-masking and all the negative societal and economic ramifications those things bring? If this were the literal plague, or smallpox, or another disease that wiped out significant chunks of the population, perhaps so. But simply put, this virus isn’t nearly as serious as we were led initially to belief. The average coronavirus age of death is higher than the average human lifespan and, even more telling, the virus poses no more risk to those under 65 than the flu. Here’s an idea, for starters. Instead of shuttering businesses and masking every man, woman, and child in America from here until God knows when, how about protecting nursing homes and giving the elderly and those with comorbidities the resources to wear a mask - if they wish - that actually protects them in places where they can’t social distance?

When asked whether you’re “loving your neighbor” by not wearing a mask, you should ask the questioner whether "loving your neighbor" involves continuing to encourage the ongoing yet completely unnecessary national panic and continuing to give credence to would-be tin-pot dictators who want to run our lives and wreck their economies to own Drumpf? Ask them what "loving your neighbor" has to do with pretending something works when it doesn't, or with giving them a useless security blanket to protect against something that, odds are, they won't get anyway and will easily survive if they do? How does “loving your neighbor” involve continuing to participate in what this entire coronavirus response has been - a sham?

Finally, ask them just how many "neighbor” lives have been destroyed by these draconian, overbearing lockdowns? It would be awesome if our overlords showed some love for them, but they're too busy doing power grabs and taking selfies with protest attendees.

[lightman]

What is the first and greatest Commandment?

[rktman]

Well, my neighbors aren’t and we aren’t. Went to a local casino last night. 60-65% masked. And probably half of those were not properly placed. Do the maskers know just how small the virus is? Wearing a mask will obviously keep you from expelling mass quantities of mostly halitosis long distances. But constantly recontaminating your mask can’t be good for you.

[Truthoverpower]

Screw masks

To protect store owners here in Serbia California I simply tie a bandanna around my neck

[Crim]

I hate the nieghbors.

[Rastus]

Went in a Kroger here in Texas today. Probably 95% masks.

[M_Callahan]

It certainly isn’t play along with your (fill in the blank)
delusions.

[Robert A Cook PE]

All stores, northwest GA region. 10-14% wearing masks.

Atl airport 100% masks inside.

[Yosemitest]

Blaylock: Face Masks Pose Serious Risks To The Healthy


Dr. Russell Blaylock warns that not only do face masks fail to protect the healthy from getting sick, but they also create serious health risks to the wearer. The bottom line is that if you are not sick, you should not wear a face mask.

As businesses reopen, many are requiring shoppers and employees to wear a face mask. Costco, for instance, will not allow shoppers into the store without wearing a face mask. Many employers are requiring all employees to wear a face mask while at work. In some jurisdictions, all citizens must wear a face mask if they are outside of their own home. ⁃ TN Editor

With the advent of the so-called COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a number of medical practices that have little or no scientific support as regards reducing the spread of this infection. One of these measures is the wearing of facial masks, either a surgical-type mask, bandana or N95 respirator mask. When this pandemic began and we knew little about the virus itself or its epidemiologic behavior, it was assumed that it would behave, in terms of spread among communities, like other respiratory viruses. Little has presented itself after intense study of this virus and its behavior to change this perception.

This is somewhat of an unusual virus in that for the vast majority of people infected by the virus, one experiences either no illness (asymptomatic) or very little sickness. Only a very small number of people are at risk of a potentially serious outcome from the infection—mainly those with underlying serious medical conditions in conjunction with advanced age and frailty, those with immune compromising conditions and nursing home patients near the end of their lives. There is growing evidence that the treatment protocol issued to treating doctors by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mainly intubation and use of a ventilator (respirator), may have contributed significantly to the high death rate in these select individuals.


By wearing a mask, the exhaled viruses will not be able to escape and will concentrate in the nasal passages, enter the olfactory nerves and travel into the brain.

Russell Blaylock, MD



As for the scientific support for the use of face mask, a recent careful examination of the literature, in which 17 of the best studies were analyzed, concluded that, “ None of the studies established a conclusive relationship between mask/respirator use and protection against influenza infection.” ¹    Keep in mind, no studies have been done to demonstrate that either a cloth mask or the N95 mask has any effect on transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Any recommendations, therefore, have to be based on studies of influenza virus transmission. And, as you have seen, there is no conclusive evidence of their efficiency in controlling flu virus transmission.

It is also instructive to know that until recently, the CDC did not recommend wearing a face mask or covering of any kind, unless a person was known to be infected, that is, until recently. Non-infected people need not wear a mask. When a person has TB we have them wear a mask, not the entire community of non-infected. The recommendations by the CDC and the WHO are not based on any studies of this virus and have never been used to contain any other virus pandemic or epidemic in history.

Now that we have established that there is no scientific evidence necessitating the wearing of a face mask for prevention, are there dangers to wearing a face mask, especially for long periods? Several studies have indeed found significant problems with wearing such a mask. This can vary from headaches, to increased airway resistance, carbon dioxide accumulation, to hypoxia, all the way to serious life-threatening complications.

There is a difference between the N95 respirator mask and the surgical mask (cloth or paper mask) in terms of side effects. The N95 mask, which filters out 95% of particles with a median diameter >0.3 µm ² , because it impairs respiratory exchange (breathing) to a greater degree than a soft mask, and is more often associated with headaches. In one such study, researchers surveyed 212 healthcare workers (47 males and 165 females) asking about presence of headaches with N95 mask use, duration of the headaches, type of headaches and if the person had preexisting headaches. ²

They found that about a third of the workers developed headaches with use of the mask, most had preexisting headaches that were worsened by the mask wearing, and 60% required pain medications for relief. As to the cause of the headaches, while straps and pressure from the mask could be causative, the bulk of the evidence points toward hypoxia and/or hypercapnia as the cause. That is, a reduction in blood oxygenation (hypoxia) or an elevation in blood C02 (hypercapnia). It is known that the N95 mask, if worn for hours, can reduce blood oxygenation as much as 20%, which can lead to a loss of consciousness, as happened to the hapless fellow driving around alone in his car wearing an N95 mask, causing him to pass out, and to 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.

A more recent study involving 159 healthcare workers aged 21 to 35 years of age found that 81% developed headaches from wearing a face mask. ³    Some had pre-existing headaches that were precipitated by the masks. All felt like the headaches affected their work performance.

Unfortunately, no one is telling the frail elderly and those with lung diseases, such as COPD, emphysema or pulmonary fibrosis, of these dangers when wearing a facial mask of any kind—which can cause a severe worsening of lung function. This also includes lung cancer patients and people having had lung surgery, especially with partial resection or even the removal of a whole lung.

While most agree that the N95 mask can cause significant hypoxia and hypercapnia, another study of surgical masks found significant reductions in blood oxygen as well. In this study, researchers examined the blood oxygen levels in 53 surgeons using an oximeter. They measured blood oxygenation before surgery as well as at the end of surgeries. ⁴ The researchers found that the mask reduced the blood oxygen levels (pa0 ² ) significantly. The longer the duration of wearing the mask, the greater the fall in blood oxygen levels.

The importance of these findings is that a drop in oxygen levels (hypoxia) is associated with an impairment in immunity. Studies have shown that hypoxia can inhibit the type of main immune cells used to fight viral infections called the CD4+ T-lymphocyte. This occurs because the hypoxia increases the level of a compound called hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), which inhibits T-lymphocytes and stimulates a powerful immune inhibitor cell called the Tregs. . This sets the stage for contracting any infection, including COVID-19 and making the consequences of that infection much graver. In essence, your mask may very well put you at an increased risk of infections and if so, having a much worse outcome. ^5,6,7

People with cancer, especially if the cancer has spread, will be at a further risk from prolonged hypoxia as the cancer grows best in a microenvironment that is low in oxygen. Low oxygen also promotes inflammation which can promote the growth, invasion and spread of cancers. ^8,9  Repeated episodes of hypoxia has been proposed as a significant factor in atherosclerosis and hence increases all cardiovascular (heart attacks) and cerebrovascular (strokes) diseases. ¹⁰

There is another danger to wearing these masks on a daily basis, especially if worn for several hours. When a person is infected with a respiratory virus, they will expel some of the virus with each breath. If they are wearing a mask, especially an N95 mask or other tightly fitting mask, they will be constantly rebreathing the viruses, raising the concentration of the virus in the lungs and the nasal passages. We know that people who have the worst reactions to the coronavirus have the highest concentrations of the virus early on. And this leads to the deadly cytokine storm in a selected number.

It gets even more frightening. Newer evidence suggests that in some cases the virus can enter the brain. ^11,12 In most instances it enters the brain by way of the olfactory nerves (smell nerves), which connect directly with the area of the brain dealing with recent memory and memory consolidation. By wearing a mask, the exhaled viruses will not be able to escape and will concentrate in the nasal passages, enter the olfactory nerves and travel into the brain. ¹³

It is evident from this review that there is insufficient evidence that wearing a mask of any kind can have a significant impact in preventing the spread of this virus. The fact that this virus is a relatively benign infection for the vast majority of the population and that most of the at-risk group also survive, from an infectious disease and epidemiological standpoint, by letting the virus spread through the healthier population we will reach a herd immunity level rather quickly that will end this pandemic quickly and prevent a return next winter. During this time, we need to protect the at-risk population by avoiding close contact, boosting their immunity with compounds that boost cellular immunity and in general, care for them.

One should not attack and insult those who have chosen not to wear a mask, as these studies suggest that is the wise choice to make.

References

1. bin-Reza F et al. The use of mask and respirators to prevent transmission of influenza: A systematic review of the scientific evidence. Resp Viruses 2012;6(4):257-67.
2. Zhu JH et al. Effects of long-duration wearing of N95 respirator and surgical facemask: a pilot study. J Lung Pulm Resp Res 2014:4:97-100.
3. Ong JJY et al. Headaches associated with personal protective equipment- A cross-sectional study among frontline healthcare workers during COVID-19. Headache 2020;60(5):864-877.
4. Bader A et al. Preliminary report on surgical mask induced deoxygenation during major surgery. Neurocirugia 2008;19:12-126.
5. Shehade H et al. Cutting edge: Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 negatively regulates Th1 function. J Immunol 2015;195:1372-1376.
6. Westendorf AM et al. Hypoxia enhances immunosuppression by inhibiting CD4+ effector T cell function and promoting Treg activity. Cell Physiol Biochem 2017;41:1271-84.
7. Sceneay J et al. Hypoxia-driven immunosuppression contributes to the pre-metastatic niche. Oncoimmunology 2013;2:1 e22355.
8. Blaylock RL. Immunoexcitatory mechanisms in glioma proliferation, invasion and occasional metastasis. Surg Neurol Inter 2013;4:15.
9. Aggarwal BB. Nucler factor-kappaB: The enemy within. Cancer Cell 2004;6:203-208.
10. Savransky V et al. Chronic intermittent hypoxia induces atherosclerosis. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 2007;175:1290-1297.
11. Baig AM et al. Evidence of the COVID-19 virus targeting the CNS: Tissue distribution, host-virus interaction, and proposed neurotropic mechanisms. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020;11:7:995-998.
12. Wu Y et al. Nervous system involvement after infection with COVID-19 and other coronaviruses. Brain Behavior, and Immunity, In press.
13. Perlman S et al. Spread of a neurotropic murine coronavirus into the CNS via the trigeminal and olfactory nerves. Virology 1989;170:556-560.

---



Dr. Russell Blaylock,  author of  The Blaylock Wellness Report  newsletter, is a nationally recognized board-certified neurosurgeon, health practitioner, author, and lecturer. He attended the Louisiana State University School of Medicine and completed his internship and neurological residency at the Medical University of South Carolina. For 26 years, practiced neurosurgery in addition to having a nutritional practice. He recently retired from his neurosurgical duties to devote his full attention to nutritional research. Dr. Blaylock has authored four books, 

Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills , 

Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life , 

Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients ,

and his most recent work,  Cellular and Molecular Biology of Autism Spectrum Disorders .

[Red6]

Lightman,

You are not going to win with reason.

When two arguments clash and one is reason and the other feelings/emotions, the emotional one almost always wins.

In this case the mask arguments are not truly based on facts and science, empirical evidence, but rather give the wearer a feeling of “doing something” and a feeling of “control.” Also it gives business or managers a legal cover, i.e. taking action and showing you did something to protect customers and employees, so that you can’t get sued. For “leaders” this is an exercise in CYA regardless of the effectiveness of the mask.

You will not win this. With time the mask will fade all by itself, until of course the next fake pandemic pops up (now we will have these over and over).

[NobleFree]

we initially banned large gatherings which, despite my sadness about seeing sports disappear, was one of the depressingly few wise things we’ve done this entire pandemic.

Well, how about that.

[Red6]

Nice post

[NobleFree]

Public health authorities define a significant exposure to Covid-19 as face-to-face contact within 6 feet with a patient with symptomatic Covid-19 that is sustained for at least a few minutes

And, of course, that NEVER happens when one is out shopping.

[Jim Noble]

Preliminary results from several non-Confucian societies which practiced universal masking and very strict lockdowns:

Keep your fingers crossed.

[Secret Agent Man]

per feelings and emotions and arguments,

that why arguing with women and libtards is futile

best to leafe them alone and let them learn the hard way

[lightman]

Maybe I won't win this.

Maybe I've watched "Mr. Smith goes to Washington" too many times.

But I do believe that:

"Lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for."

[Red6]

I agree,

But we live in a world where these libtards have a direct impact on my life because “gubbermint” today has given itself the power to get into every aspect of my life.

Think about this, the government regulates how much water my toilet uses per flush, what light-bulb I use so I don’t sit on that toilet in the dark, and where and when I can complain about this.

In this country, today, those libtards vote and because government has already given itself the power to regulate everything, tax everything, take away everything... you are impacted by these libtards. This isn’t 1900. Today government has agencies that write regulations that have the force of the “law” behind them, and when the libtards say Global Warming is real and we should have carbon offsets, or forced vaccines (that is guaranteed coming), take away peoples guns (Chicago, after Katrina in La...), close churches because of a virus...

The problem is because government has become so powerful, so invasive, and your Constitutional rights mean NOTHING, is that when these libtards make their rules you and I get told how it’s going to be. So while I agree just leave them be, the problem is that they won’t let me be.

[Paradox]

I wear a mask when I am around people. I do it to be polite. I have no problem with it.

[seastay]

Masters forced their “property” to wear masks through history, and still today muslim woman are forced to wear a face covering while needing permission to go outside. Yet we are lectured by the same people who want to right the injustice of slavery that not wearing a mask is immoral for an illness they have yet to prove.

The fatalities and age group; 80 percent of deaths are over 65 and the majority of these were terminally ill nursing home patients means the virus is no different than a flu in terms of numbers ( not symptoms for the karens who need it spelled out, every virus is different, duh) but treating us like slaves, just like the very thing we are accused also with no proof for” social justice” is more important than the truth . Hypocrites all of them..

[cyclotic]

I went into a Home Depot the other day and for the first time, an employee asked if I had a mask.

“no”

“OK, what can I help you with?”

[Celerity]

Oh my God people.

Is this really worth it? Is everything in your lives going so damned well that this... THIS is what’s preventing your happiness?

Just leave people alone. If they want to wear a mask, LET THEM .

this is being argued over here like liberals argue about bathrooms. And it’s stupid.