Tag: coronavirus

The Science: Masks Are Neither Effective Nor Safe

At this writing, there is a recent surge in widespread use by the public of facemasks when in public places, including for extended periods of time, in the United States as well as in other countries.

The public has been instructed by media and their governments that one’s use of masks, even if not sick, may prevent others from being infected with SARS-CoV-2, the infectious agent of COVID-19.

A review of the peer-reviewed medical literature examines impacts on human health, both immunological, as well as physiological.  The purpose of this paper is to examine data regarding the effectiveness of facemasks, as well as safety data.  The reason that both are examined in one paper is that for the general public as a whole, as well as for every individual, a risk-benefit analysis is necessary to guide decisions on if and when to wear a mask.

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The Science and Law of Refusing to Wear Masks: Texts and Arguments in Support of Civil Disobedience

In fact, the only medical benefit — and even that is only a ‘likely advantage’ — of the use of masks by healthy people in the general public listed by the WHO is the ‘reduced potential exposure risk from infected persons before they develop symptoms.’ It’s important to clarify that this is a risk that I take, not that I represent, of potential exposure to infection from someone else who, presumably, has COVID-19 and breathes, sneezes or coughs on me in sufficiently close proximity for airborne particles or tiny droplets potentially carrying the virus to enter my nose, mouth or eyes. However, if I want to take that risk of potential exposure, that’s up to me, just as I also risk being run down by a car when I cross the road. It’s not the role of the police — and it most certainly isn’t within their legal powers — to compel me to avoid that risk. That’s my right, without which any and every possible or putative risk to my or anyone else’s safety can be used to justify controlling every aspect of my life.

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