And be kind to the Mask Man at the entrance to WalMart.
NOTE: This article has been published with permission of American Post-Gazette, Distributed by C O M M O N S E N S E in Arizona, September 3, 2020. If you don’t already subscribe to the American Post-Gazette, we suggest that you do. Just send an email to azstatesmen@gmail.com. You’ll receive occasional emails from Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, former Arizona Senator Russell Pearce, Samuel Adams, Ben Franklin, and others, and most recently, Sybil Ludington, who wrote the following, well researched post.
| A fearful population is a population that’s easily manipulated. There are enough people who will accept any proposed remedy, so they can feel safe. — Gary DeMar Masks don’t work very well against COVID-19, and they make people sick. Most people would stop wearing masks if they knew the Truth. But everything about this virus is confusing, including what to call it (Wuhan flu aka Coronavirus, aka SARS-CoV-2 aka COVID-19 aka C-19). It’s easier to control people if you keep them in a state of confusion. Allow me to help you sort things out. First, no studies show that masks stop COVID-19, especially not cloth masks. In fact, neck gaiters may increase COVID-19 transmission. How absurd can people be? Even Dr. Fauci is on record stating masks aren’t necessary or effective. “Right now, people shouldn’t be walking around wearing a mask. …it might make you “feel better,” and it might even block a droplet…” There are plenty of studies that show wearing a mask causes anxiety, headaches, reduced blood oxygenation (hypoxia), carbon dioxide toxicity, vertigo, impaired immunity, staph infections, seizures, suffocation, loss of consciousness. Even dentists are warning the public that prolonged mask wearing results in poor hygiene and more tooth decay. Those with cancer are at further risk. Cancer grows best in a microenvironment that is low in oxygen. Repeated episodes of hypoxia have been implicated in atherosclerosis, and may increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Doctors who specialize in the immune system have warned healthy people to not wear masks, because it is detrimental to their own immune systems, and another 640 doctors have called COVID-19 a global scam. Are we surprised to learn that a group Tulsa business owners and doctors are suing their “city leaders” over the mandatory mask mandate, because they cause healthy people to become sick? Increase In Cases versus Deaths. What about the increase in positive cases? Well, at first, there weren’t enough testing sites/kits, etc., so fewer cases. Later, when more people got tested, there were more positive cases. Some places in Florida only reported positive cases, not negative, so they reported 100% positive . Some people who were never tested received calls telling them they tested positive. Let’s put on our thinking caps. Do you trust the number of “positive” cases that have been reported? What About the Number of Deaths? Do you trust the number of deaths reportedly caused by COVID-19 when corruption in the numbers is everywhere? Hospital administrators receive a lump sum of $5,000 if the discharge summary or death certificate for a Medicare person is plain old pneumonia. But if it’s COVID-19 pneumonia, then it’s $13,000, and if that COVID-19 pneumonia patient ends up on a ventilator, it goes up to $39,000. (Party!!!) So the question is whether that’s enough incentive to invoke the leeway provided by the CDC? Did the person die “of” COVID- 19 or “with”? See The claim: Hospitals get paid more if patients are listed as COVID-19, and on ventilators. According to the CDC, “COVID-19 should be reported on the death certificate for all decedents where the disease (COVID-19) caused or is assumed to have caused or contributed to death. And to top it all off, Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, medical director of disease control for the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, stated that anyone who dies with any positive test for COVID-19 is counted as a COVID death regardless of the evidence of symptoms! Even with the inflated numbers, Maricopa County has reported (from 3/28/2020 – 8/28/2020), 6 deaths for ages 0-19; 171 deaths for ages 20-44; 638 for ages 45-64; and 2144 for ages 65+. This county has a population of 4,329,580. Factors contributing to death include co-morbidity (people who have other serious health problems) and people living in congregant settings (nursing homes). Common Sense Precautions. Keep your distance from people who are incapable of talking without spitting and/or are sneezing and coughing. Remember, masks are supposed to stop “droplets” that settle on your nice clean mask. If you must wear a mask, stop rearranging it with your fingers (over your nose, under your nose, around your neck, hanging from your ear, etc.) Wash your hands….after fiddling with your mask, after touching grocery carts, gasoline handles, public pens, door handles, public toilet handles, etc., etc., etc. Remember, the highest death rate from COVID-19 is among persons over 65 in nursing homes, those who are immune-suppressed, and who have underlying health conditions (Chronic kidney disease, COPD; Obesity; Heart failure, Coronary artery disease, Cardiomyopathies, Sickle cell disease, Type 2 diabetes). Ask yourself: Is wearing your mask hurting your natural immunity, cutting off your oxygen, and making your COPD/cancer/skin infection/asthma worse? See Part 2: Hydroxychloroquine and Other Low Cost Treatments; Tylenol is deadlier than HCQ; Who’s Pushing Mask Hysteria? Collateral Damage; The Poop Route–Wash Your Hands! Who is John Galt? REFERENCES: Europe’s Top Health Officials Say Masks Aren’t Helpful in Beating COVID-19 Horowitz: Coronavirus cases, hospitalizations soar in Hawaii since indoor and outdoor mask mandates Horowitz: Philippines had the harshest lockdown and most mask wearing. It didn’t work. Horowitz: Coronavirus casualties from Sturgis biker rally super-spreader event don’t make news because they didn’t happen WHO stands by recommendation to not wear masks if you are not sick or not caring for someone who is sick Dr. Fauci says masks not necessary or effective The land with no face masks: Holland’s top scientists say there’s no solid evidence coverings work and warn they could even damage the fight against Covid-19 A Conversation with Dr. Kelly Victory Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi on COVID-19 640 Doctors Claim that “COVID-19 is a Global Scam” Face Masks Pose Serious Risks to the Healthy Dentists say ‘mask mouth’ can cause serious health complications, including strokes Horowitz: The median age of reported COVID-19 deaths in Florida on Wednesday was 93 SHOCK REPORT: This Week CDC Quietly Updated COVID-19 Numbers – Only 9,210 Americans Died From COVID-19 Alone – Rest Had Different Other Serious Illnesses / **MASKS: RISKS VERSUS BENEFITS STUDIES Wearing a face mask causes headaches, reduced oxygen levels, hypoxia and/or hypercapnia Jacobs, J. L. et al. (2009) “Use of surgical face masks to reduce the incidence of the common cold among health care workers in Japan: A randomized controlled trial”, American Journal of Infection Control, Volume 37, Issue 5, 417 – 419.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19216002. N95-masked health-care workers (HCW) were significantly more likely to experience headaches. Face mask use in HCW was not demonstrated to provide benefit in terms of cold symptoms or getting colds. 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. A recent study involving 159 healthcare workers aged 21 to 35 years of age found that 81% developed headaches from wearing a face mask… That is, a reduction in blood oxygenation (hypoxia) or an elevation in blood CO2 (hypercapnia). It is known that the N95 mask, if worn for hours, can reduce blood oxygenation as much as 20%. And proper oxygenation of the blood is essential for energy, mental clarity, focus and emotional well-being. All felt like the headaches affected their work performance. Lim EC, RC Seet, KH Lee, EP Wilder-Smith, BY Chuah, BK Ong. “Headaches and the N95 Face-Mask Amongst Healthcare Providers.” Acta Neurol Scand. 2006 Mar;113(3):199-202. healthcare providers may develop headaches following the use of the N95 face-mask. Shorter duration of face-mask wear may reduce the frequency and severity of these headaches. 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. 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). Bader A et al. Preliminary report on surgical mask induced deoxygenation during major surgery. Neurocirugia 2008;19:12-126. “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 (pa02) significantly. The longer the duration of wearing the mask, the greater the fall in blood oxygen levels.” Driver wearing N95 mask for ‘several hours’ passes out, crashes into pole, police say https://www.masslive.com/news/2020/04/driver-wearing-n95-mask-for-several-hours-passes-out-crashes-into-pole-police-say.html. 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. “It would depend on the mask model and personal risk factors but it is possible,” Dr. Stavros G. Christoudias, a surgeon in Teaneck, told NJ Advance Media. “It would also depend on the person wearing the mask,” he said. “They could have a host of factors making them susceptible as well, like obesity, smoking, emphysema, COPD, etc.” Christoudias pointed out that passing out while wearing a mask would not be from lack of oxygen but from an excess buildup of carbon dioxide. https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/does-wearing-face-mask-increase-co2-levels In rare cases, it can actually be pretty dangerous, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). They say that inhaling high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) may be life-threatening. Hypercapnia (carbon dioxide toxicity) can also cause headache, vertigo, double vision, inability to concentrate, tinnitus (hearing a noise, like a ringing or buzzing, that’s not caused by an outside source), seizures, or suffocation due to displacement of air. “Someone wearing an N95 mask for a prolonged period of time may have alterations in their blood chemistry that could lead to changes in level of consciousness if severe,” infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Maryland, tells Health. But it’s most likely to happen to those who are already predisposed to breathing difficulties, such as smoker, obese people, or individuals with COPD or emphysema. “Kelli Randell, MD, an internist and medical advisor at Aeroflow Healthcare, tells Health that prolonged use of any face mask, including the N95 respirator, has not been shown to cause carbon dioxide toxicity in healthy people. “Because breathing is slightly harder with a mask, I do recommend that people who suffer from severe COPD or other lung diseases that make breathing difficult carefully consider the use of face masks,” says Dr. Randell.” “Dr. Adalja adds that there’s absolutely no need for any member of the general public to be wearing an N95 respirator, which is a type of personal protective equipment (PPE) designed to protect health care workers and the patients they care for. “It’s uncomfortable to wear, and it does restrict your breathing,” he says. “When I wear one to take care of patients I try to keep it on only for as long as I have to.” The bottom line? The N95 might be uncomfortable and restrictive to the point where it affects your oxygen and carbon dioxide levels…but you really shouldn’t be wearing that anyway. As for cloth face coverings (either store-bought or homemade), there’s even less of a chance of breathing issues, and it’s definitely not an excuse for going out without one. Make sure your mask covers your nose and mouth but feels loose, rather than so tight you really can’t breathe. If you continue to feel like your airways are cut off, consider other possible causes, such as a panic attack, which can trigger sudden feelings of suffocation and breathlessness.” Preexisting conditions can make wearing a mask for hours VERY dangerous. “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.” Wearing a face mask impairs immunity 1. Shehade H et al. Cutting edge: Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 negatively regulates Th1 function. J Immunol 2015;195:1372-1376. 2. 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. 3. Sceneay J et al. Hypoxia-driven immunosuppression contributes to the pre-metastatic niche. Oncoimmunology 2013;2:1 e22355. “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” Effects of prolonged hypoxia. Blaylock RL. Immunoexcitatory mechanisms in glioma proliferation, invasion and occasional metastasis. Surg Neurol Inter 2013;4:15. Aggarwal BB. Nucler factor-kappaB: The enemy within. Cancer Cell 2004;6:203-208. Savransky V et al. Chronic intermittent hypoxia induces atherosclerosis. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 2007;175:1290-1297. 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. Wearing a mask INCREASES risk to infection. 1. Baig AM et al. Evidence of the COVID-19 virus targeting the CNS: Tissue distribution, host-virus interaction, and proposed neurotropic mechanisms. 2. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020;11:7:995-998. Wu Y et al. Nervous system involvement after infection with COVID-19 and other coronaviruses. Brain Behavior, and Immunity, In press. 3. Perlman S et al. Spread of a neurotropic murine coronavirus into the CNS via the trigeminal and olfactory nerves. Virology 1989;170:556-560. “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. This direct rebreathing of the virus back into the nasal passages contributes to migration of the virus to the brain. (1, 2) “Newer evidence suggests that in some cases the virus can enter the brain. 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.”(3) 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. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5779801/ 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.” Wearing a mask instills fear in you and those around you, affecting blood chemistry and eliciting an immune “stress: response. 2007 book titled, Cytokines: Stress and Immunity- Second Edition 2007. You can read Chapter 2 titled Worried to Death? Worry, and Immune Dysregulation in Health and HIV. Interestingly, HIV is a viral infection as is SARS-C0V-2 (COVID-19). https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=2DvMBQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA17&dq=the+immunosuppressi ve+effects+of+fear+and+worry&ots=ZNbmH2FBXA&sig=0FwVcXAxtEBeHT78_EV90NWl91g Wearing face masks is a constant reminder that we should fear this invisible enemy or “monster” as some politicians have called it- There is no doubt that wearing a mask reinforces the worry and fear about COVID-19. Even being in public mask-less and seeing that most people are wearing masks leaves one with a sense of angst. Fear, worry and anxiety are powerful immune suppressing emotions. This is another factor relating to the immunosuppressive effects of face masks. Conclusion from Neurosurgeon Blaylock: “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.” Masks are ineffective at stopping transmission to others. Klompas M, et al. “Universal Masking in Hospitals in the Covid-19 Era.” N Engl J Med 2020; 382:e63 “wearing a mask outside health care facilities offers little, if any, protection from infection…..In many cases, the desire for widespread masking is a reflexive reaction to anxiety over the pandemic.” https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2006372?rfr_dat=cr_pub%3Dpubmed Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA); April 21, 2020 Volume 323, Number 15 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2762694 Face masks do not protect the wearer from transmission by others. The American Medical Association just released a position paper on masks. From the paper…“Face masks should be used only by individuals who have symptoms of respiratory infection such as coughing, sneezing, or, in some cases, fever. Face masks should also be worn by health care workers, by individuals who are taking care of or are in close contact with people who have respiratory infections, or otherwise as directed by a doctor. Face masks should not be worn by healthy individuals to protect themselves from acquiring respiratory infection because there is no evidence to suggest that face masks worn by healthy individuals are effective in preventing people from becoming ill. Face masks should be reserved for those who need them because masks can be in short supply during periods of widespread respiratory infection. Because N95 respirators require special fit testing, they are not recommended for use by the general public.” “Advice on the use of masks in the context of COVID-19.” Guidance: World Health Organization. April 6, 2020. “There is limited evidence that wearing a medical mask by healthy individuals in the households or among contacts of a sick patient, or among attendees of mass gatherings may be beneficial as a preventive measure.”14-23 However, there is currently no evidence that wearing a mask (whether medical or other types) by healthy persons in the wider community setting, including universal community masking, can prevent them from infection with respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. Medical masks should be reserved for health care workers. The use of medical masks in the community may create a false sense of security, with neglect of other essential measures, such as hand hygiene practices and physical distancing, and may lead to touching the face under the masks and under the eyes, result in unnecessary costs, and take masks away from those in health care who need them most, especially when masks are in short supply. As described above, the wide use of masks by healthy people in the community setting is not supported by current evidence and carries uncertainties and critical risks. WHO offers the following advice to decision makers so they apply a risk-based approach. ZERO evidence that cloth masks reduce viral infection; in fact, data suggests quite the opposite. From 2015. A cluster randomised trial of cloth masks compared with medical masks in healthcare workers. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25903751/ BMJ. MacIntyre et al. (2015) If you believe wearing a cloth mask is protecting you or others, you have clearly done ZERO research beyond anything the mainstream feeds you. “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.” Particle penetration through cloth masks MUCH higher and variable than control N95 and surgical masks. Rengasamy S, B Eimer, RE Shaffer. “Simple Respiratory Protection–Evaluation of the Filtration Performance of Cloth Masks and Common Fabric Materials Against 20-1000 Nm Size Particles.” Ann Occup Hyg. 2010 Oct;54(7):789-98. (2010 Jun 28). CONCLUSION: “Common fabric materials and cloth masks showed a wide variation in penetration values for polydisperse (40–90%) as well as monodisperse aerosol particles in the 20–1000 nm range (40–97%) at 5.5 cm s1 face velocity. The penetration levels obtained for fabric materials against both polydisperse and monodisperse aerosols were much higher than the value for the control N95 respirator filter media…” |