With so many politicians running around trying to out-mandate each other, we now have demands, directives and edicts for millions of Americans to wear masks or other facial coverings in public. The orders from governors, mayors and public health officials are appearing everywhere.
Covid-19 has not stopped or even reduced the flexing of political muscle but rather it has put it on steroids.
It seems odd after we were told for so long that masks would have little impact on slowing the spread of Covid-19, we are now being told to wear them. In fact, some mayors and governors are making in mandatory and violations can result in steep fines or worse. We are being told it could be a matter of life and death. That part may in fact be true.
Newsflash, the science about masks, especially homemade ones has not changed.
In fact, here is what the World Health Organization has published on the subject of using bandannas, scarves and other homemade cloth masks to protect yourself against Covid-19 or any other virus:
There are potential risks and disadvantages that should be taken into account in any decision-making process on the use of masks: [1]
- Non-medical or cloth masks could increase potential for COVID-19 to infect a person if the mask is contaminated by dirty hands and touched often, or kept on other parts of the face or head and then placed back over the mouth and nose
- Depending on the type of mask used, could cause difficulty in breathing
- They can lead to facial skin breakdown
- They can lead to difficulty with communicating clearly
- They can be uncomfortable to wear
- It is possible that mask use, with unclear benefits, could create a false sense of security in the wearer, leading to diminished practice of recognized beneficial preventive measures such as physical distancing and hand hygiene.
The WHO in an in-depth discussion of the masks added this: one good quality study showed that the risk of respiratory infection in increased (and not reduced) in health care workers using cotton cloth masks when compared to medical masks.
So, to be clear using homemade masks and not ‘medical masks’ actually increased the risk of infection and therefore the risk of dying from the disease.
All of this information is readily available from a variety of sources so you would think that politicians in their ivory towers would be able to search the internet like anyone else to find the ‘quality’ studies cited by their heroes at the WHO and realize this has no practical purpose.
But then what fun would it be if you couldn’t order your subjects around and tell them what they were allowed to do, who they were allowed to see and what they were required to wear?
Relax and Covid On!