Are Masks Creating More Problems?

(Click on image to enlarge.)

When comparing places around the world that required masks to places that did not require them, it's quite clear that mask mandates failed to have a positive effect.  In fact, one could argue that the overuse of masks may have made things worse, with most places showing increases in cases and mortality after masks were required.  A CDC study showed that 80% of people that developed COVID-19 said they were "often or always wearing masks."  Obstructing the air passageways is far from natural and has well-documented harmful effects.  Recent studies have confirmed this, including one from the Journal of the American Medical Association, that conducted a randomized clinical trial and found dangerously high levels of carbon dioxide, a waste product of lung respiration, that is being inhaled, leading to hypercapnia, which "can cause effects such as headaches, dizziness, and fatigue, as well as serious complications such as seizures or loss of consciousness."  According to one review that found 65 studies documenting the harmful effects of masks, it was concluded: "Extended mask-wearing by the general population could lead to relevant effects and consequences in many medical fields."  A study published this year also found high levels of microscopic heavy metals, including lead, in disposable masks (see image below), with the researchers concluding that "The toxicity of some of the chemicals found raises the question of whether face masks are safe to be used on a daily basis."  Even inhalation of natural fibres, including cotton, can lead to narrowing of air passageways, causing a condition known as byssinosis, as "prolonged exposure to cotton dust increases the frequency of symptoms (wheezing, chest tightness) and leads to permanent lung disease, which can sometimes be disabling."  So it seems that like most medical interventions, we are trying to prevent one thing, while creating many potentially more harmful future problems.  

"The toxicity of some of the chemicals found and the postulated risks of the rest of
the present particles and molecules, raises the question of whether [masks] are safe
to be used on a daily basis and what consequences are to be
expected after their disposal into the environment."
(Click on image to enlarge)
Source: Water Research

For more information:

• Experimental Assessment of Carbon Dioxide Content in Inhaled Air With or Without Face Masks in Healthy Children A Randomized Clinical Trial
• Is a Mask That Covers the Mouth and Nose Free from Undesirable Side Effects in Everyday Use and Free of Potential Hazards?
  
• 65 Studies Reveals Face Masks DO Cause Physical Harm
  
• Ramifications of restricted breathing
• Dangerous pathogens found on children’s face masks
  
• An investigation into the leaching of micro and nano particles and chemical pollutants from disposable face masks - linked to the COVID-19 pandemic
  
• “The Toxicity of Some of the Chemicals Found Raises the Question of Whether Face Masks are Safe to be Used on a Daily Basis” – Study
  
• Byssinosis: Occupational Lung Disease From Inhalation of Cotton and Other Natural Fibres
  
• Byssinosis: National Library of Medicine
  
• The CDC’s Mask Mandate Study: Debunked
  
• These 12 Graphs Show Mask Mandates Do Nothing To Stop COVID
• Why don’t face masks work?
• 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
  
• Landmark Danish study finds no significant effect for facemask wearers
  
• Masking: A Careful Review of the Evidence
  
• Masks, false safety and real dangers, Part 1: Friable mask particulate and lung vulnerability
  
• Masks are neither effective nor safe: A summary of the science
  
• Face Masks May Pose Serious Risks To The Healthy
  
• Effect of a surgical mask on six minute walking distance
  
• Video by Dr Ted Noel Showing Aerosols Pass Through Masks
  
• Video of Live Mask Test
  

"Extended mask-wearing by the general population could lead to
relevant effects and consequences in many medical fields."
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research 
and Public Health

The Vitamin D Deficiency - COVID Link

      As people shelter themselves more and more from the elements, we often miss the nurturing effects of nature.  A good example is sunshine, as many of us shy away from its harshness and potential damage from UV rays.  Just as the plants need sunshine to live, so do we.  One essential purpose of sunshine is to help our skin to produce Vitamin D, which is essential for healthy bones and optimal nerve function.  Furthermore, many studies are also now showing a possible link between Vitamin D deficiency and cancer, heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and other chronic diseases, including osteoporosis.  More recent studies have even shown a link with increased mortality and covid-19 (see graph to the right).  While we can get this vitamin from our diet, our best source is from exposure of our skin to sunlight, which fuels our body's innate process that produces Vitamin D naturally.  So be sure to expose your skin to about 15 minutes of direct sunlight every day.  Living on the highveld of South Africa we are also fortunate during the winter time, as we are blessed with sunshine nearly every day.  So be sure to enjoy some daily sun in moderation.

For more information:

• Research Suggests a Link Between Vitamin D Deficiency and COVID-19 Deaths
  
• Patterns of COVID-19 Mortality and Vitamin D: An Indonesian Study