The Dangers of Face Masks for COVID-19

The prevailing assumption is that face masks prevent getting or transmitting COVID-19.
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It's always wise to question popular opinion or hyped information from the media, government, or medical bureaucrats. This is what looking deeper into face masks reveals:
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>Face masks are not proven to reduce deaths. Their effectiveness in terms of preventing disease transmission is in dispute.
 
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0002101
 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19193267
 
https://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/744899/facemasks-hand-hygiene-prevent-influenza-transmission-households-cluster-randomized-trial
 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3285078/pdf/12879_2011_Article_1706.pdf
 
https://www.wired.com/story/the-face-mask-debate-reveals-a-scientific-double-standard/
 
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/wuhan-coronavirus-mask
 
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/04/commentary-masks-all-covid-19-not-based-sound-data
 
>The Surgeon General cautioned that masks are ineffective. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/health/coronavirus-n95-face-masks.html
 
>The COVID-19 virus is about 1000 times smaller in diameter than the diameter of a human hair. Although some masks can trap them, many cannot. If not perfectly sealed on the face, all masks are ineffective. Beards, in particular, prevent a good seal. https://www.wmur.com/article/cdc-face-masks-used-to-protect-against-covid-19-might-not-work-with-beards/31116576
 
>Facemasks create a false sense of security because hair, hands, clothing, and shoes act as fomites (infection transmitters) and the virus can infect via the eyes.
 
>Although surgeons are assumed to be proof of the importance of face masks, mask use in surgical theaters does not decrease disease transmission. https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/infectioncontrol/16278
 
>Facemasks can increase transmission of disease by trapping heat and moisture from the breath, an excellent medium for microbial growth. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/5/4/e006577.full.pdf
 
>Masks require frequent adjustment. COVID-19 trapped on their surface will then contaminate hands and cause infection when touching the mouth, nose, and eyes. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31159777
 
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/5/4/e006577.full.pdf
 
>People who are symptomatic, believing masks prevent transmission, go into public spaces and spread the infection.
 
>Forcing people who are not infected by the virus to wear masks contradicts the fact that the only solution to any disease is herd immunity—people must be exposed to pathogens to develop immunity to them— https://voxeu.org/article/early-draconian-social-distancing-may-be-suboptimal-fighting-covid-19-epidemic
 
>Masks embolden criminal activity since masked criminals will not be differentiated from innocent civilians. https://qz.com/1837529/thieves-are-capitalizing-on-the-publics-use-of-covid-19-masks/ Many states have laws against masking to prevent criminal activity.
 
>Masks prevent camera surveillance to identify criminals.
 
>Forcing the use of masks is unconstitutional unless it can be proven that a mandate is essential for public protection. But as outlined here, masks are not essential and in fact can be dangerous to the public.
 
>Mask mandates encourage civil disobedience as well as revolt by law enforcement officers holding to their duty to the Constitution. — https://www.newsmax.com/us/houston-police-facemask-covid-19/2020/04/23/id/964428/
 
>Forcing the wearing of masks will  precipitate lawsuits and a financial burden on people who believe their rights are being infringed upon— https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/apr/27/william-barr-orders-legal-action-against-governors/
 
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/connecticut/articles/2020-04-18/lawsuit-challenges-governors-order-for-people-to-wear-masks
 
>Citizens who object to mandatory face masking because of mask dangers or fealty to the Constitution will not patronize brick and mortar businesses that are forced to require them. This compounds the deadly economic and social effects of the "mitigation."
 
>For citizens proud of and sensitive to American liberty, wearing a mask would violate their conscience since they feel doing so would be like announcing to the world that they agree with and submit to un-American government overreach. Particularly is this so when the above facts are known or intuited, and it thus appears there is a nefarious un-American political agenda they feel duty-bound to object to.
 
Inasmuch as COVID-19 is not unusually lethal, and affects primarily the elderly, those engaged in unhealthy practices (smoking, vaping, poor nutrition, no exercise, no sun, etc.), and those with serious co-morbidities, there is no justification for mandates requiring facemask use or social distancing. For the past century, we have lived with diseases far more serious than C19 without government shutting society down and attempting to isolate and wrap all citizens up in cellophane.
 
The same common sense we have always used to prevent the spread of infectious disease is sufficient: handwashing, good etiquette when sneezing and coughing, and staying home when sick.
 
Finally, a word to those who strongly object to people not wearing masks. If you believe a mask protects you and are wearing one, there should be nothing to fear from someone not wearing one. If you believe by wearing a mask you are not transmitting disease, those who do not wear them have nothing to fear from you.
 
Wearing masks should be a personal decision that is informed by personal knowledge of effectiveness and risk assessment, not something imposed by an agenda-driven government.

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Words of Wisdom:
 
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." – Benjamin Franklin