If we have a hot civil war in the future, our side will win. If we have a biological civil war, our side will lose. This is my opinion. I know many will disagree.
I continue to receive emails concerning the use of masks and how they are ineffective. People continue to argue for their ignorance. Here are some examples:
A former neurosurgeon wrote an op-ed published Thursday warning that face masks are not only ineffective against the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, but they can be potentially dangerous in some circumstances.
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This article had no linked scientific studies within the article so I went to the first reference: 1. 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.:
Here is part of the Abstract:
Eight of nine retrospective observational studies found that mask and/or respirator use was independently associated with a reduced risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Findings, however, may not be applicable to influenza and many studies were suboptimal. None of the studies established a conclusive relationship between mask/respirator use and protection against influenza infection. Some evidence suggests that mask use is best undertaken as part of a package of personal protection especially hand hygiene. The effectiveness of masks and respirators is likely linked to early, consistent and correct usage.
There were no conclusions to this reference and as noted above the studies were observational. No controls. No testing parameters. No p-value. But this was used as a reference to support a false statement concerning masks.
Here is another emailed article:
Masks: Are There Benefits or Just a Comfort Prop? Let the Facts Speak, by Jennifer Giustra-Kozek
In Epidemics 2017, a meta-analysis concluded that masks had a non-significant protective effect. In the Annuals of Internal Medicine, April 2020, “neither surgical nor cotton masks effectively filtered SARS-CoV-2 during coughs by affected people.”
According to a University of New South Wales, the widespread use of masks by healthcare workers may put them at increased risk of respiratory illness and viral infections, and their global use should be discouraged.
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Let’s link at the above links:
Epidemics 2017 article:
However, PPMs such as respiratory etiquette, hand hygiene and the use of facemasks are inexpensive and easy to implement, and are commonly recommended and undertaken during influenza outbreaks (Aledort et al., 2007, Aiello et al., 2010a, van der Weerd et al., 2011).
One reported that the incidence and proportion of school absence associated with pandemic influenza decreased in schools where a hand sanitizer intervention was implemented (Azor-Martinez et al., 2014), while the other found that hand hygiene in conjunction with facemask use reduced risk of secondary influenza infection (OR = 0.26; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.07–0.93) (Suess et al., 2012).
3.4. Facemask use:
If the randomized control trial and cohort study were pooled with the case–control studies, heterogeneity decreased and a significant protective effect was found.
4. Discussion
Analyses of hand hygiene found significant protective effects associated with frequent hand-washing and hand-washing after contact with an index patient or a contaminated surface. These results compare favourably to the results of a systematic review of RCTs evaluating hand hygiene effectiveness during seasonal influenza epidemics, which found a significant protective effect associated with a combination of hand hygiene and facemask use, but no significant effect of hand hygiene alone in preventing influenza infection (Wong et al., 2014).
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Given the questionable effectiveness of respiratory etiquette, mask use and hand hygiene should form the foundation of protective behavior.
From the Annals of Internal Medicine link in the article:
Background:
However, the SARS–CoV-2 pandemic has contributed to shortages of both N95 and surgical masks, and cotton masks have gained interest as a substitute.
A previous study reported that surgical masks and N95 masks were equally effective in preventing the dissemination of influenza virus, so surgical masks might help prevent transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus 2 (SARS–CoV-2). However, the SARS–CoV-2 pandemic has contributed to shortages of both N95 and surgical masks, and cotton masks have gained interest as a substitute.
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of surgical and cotton masks in filtering SARS–CoV-2.
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This study is only concerned with cotton masks, not N95 (or higher) or even surgical masks. Let me repeat this statement from the above article: A previous study reported that surgical masks and N95 masks were equally effective in preventing the dissemination of influenza virus, so surgical masks might help prevent transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus 2 (SARS–CoV-2).
If you actually read the links, you will see that there is a difference between the influenza virus and the SAR-CoV-2 virus for transmission BUT masks are effective in the contraction and dissemination of HB-19.
University of New South Wales link:
Cloth masks—dangerous to your health?
Professor Raina MacIntyre, lead study author and head of UNSW’s School of Public Health and Community Medicine, said the results of the study caution against the use of cloth masks.
“Masks are worn to protect from infection during pandemics and outbreaks, especially when there are no drugs or vaccines available for protection,” Professor MacIntyre said.
“Masks are especially important for frontline doctors and nurses, as their protection from infection is key to maintaining the ability to tackle a pandemic effectively.
“Cloth masks should not be used by workers in any healthcare setting, but particularly high-risk situations such as emergency departments, intensive care, paediatric or respiratory wards.”
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Again, the authors use misdirection by not specifying the type of mask. I would not wear a cotton mask. I would not wear an N95 mask unless it was a low risk environment, a method to get infected with a low inoculum or it was the only available option.
David DeGerolamo
[…] ← If We Remain Ignorant, We Will Lose […]
If you believe masks work, you go ahead and wear one. If you believe whatever vaccine they come up with will protect you, go ahead and get it. I have never gotten the flu shot, and I do not get the flu. Lots of people who get the flu shot get the flu right afterwards.
We will lose the biological civil war because we are afraid, and our fear will isolate us.
I don’t care if the urban commies stay in their apartments forever. I don’t care about them at all. I don’t care if they wear masks to protect themselves from their disease-ridden magical effing cities.
You can lockdown and stop living if you want. Build your own prison and get inside.
No thanks.
I like how you provided the straw man arguments of a vaccine, that I have lockdowned and have stopped living: none of which I had done. I do not plan on losing a biological civil war due to ignorance.
David: Thank you for the due diligence above. Easy to read something online that fits your own narrative and use it as “proof” that you are right. A lot harder to actually look up the data and discover that your assumptions were wrong. Nicely done.
Thank you. I doubt people will read facts which attack their perceived narrative. The attacks have started which was the point: we let the other side divide and conquer. While they wear masks, collect state and federal employee paychecks, entitlements or excessive unemployment benefits, people are not preparing for the second wave or the consequences of their actions. I stated from the beginning that we should be taking preventative measures without government actions being necessary. I said that we need to hold the government accountable if they abuse their power. I had hoped that this would not have happened but I had little doubt that the political elite would overreach to take advantage of this crisis. So now when the time to stand up is upon us, what do we get? Wearing a mask is a sign of submission. I pray that we understand the fight we are in and what tools are needed to win.
If I thought there was a real threat I might consider wearing a mask. I don’t know anyone who has had the virus. There have been very few cases and almost no deaths because of the virus in my area. I didn’t’ wear a mask last year during flu season, so I see no reason to wear one now. Good hygiene and taking reasonable precautions have worked for my family and everyone I know.
When will it be “safe” to not wear a mask? Should I believe all the experts that have been wrong so far? Statistically I am in far more danger of getting killed in a car accident. Should I park my car?
We are in a fight alright to save the few liberties that remain. But a mask won’t save us.
Should I believe all the experts that have been wrong so far?
A broad statement that you need to clarify.
We are in a fight alright to save the few liberties that remain. But a mask won’t save us.
I agree that a mask will not protect us from the tyranny that is now obvious. But a mask is a simple precaution to wear in a pandemic to reduce the R0 below 1. The two are not linked in any way. As in the Revolutionary War, we need to fight effectively with all of the tools at our disposal.
i do not believe that turning the world into a doctors office or a surgical room until (man comes up with a cure) is the answer.
There is a problem with basing anything on scientific studies, all of science is corrupted by politics and money. You must use your brain and he very selective about believing them, remember all the old studies showing smoking doesn’t cause cancer. There is another problem and that science misguidedly believes that “”the absence of proof is proof of absence, nothing could be further from the truth. The absence of proof is simply the absence and proves nothing! Further all too often we have preconceived opinions and then find studies to support those opinions. A good scientist will draw conclusions from unbiased studies; however accurate truth is very hard to find. Dr. Lon Schultz
I agree that science is corrupted by politics and money. What most people do not realize is that most scientific studies are done by universities and funded by the government. The biggest problem that I currently see is that people do not have the scientific background to read a true peer reviewed science/medical publication. The people are easily misled by bad reports as I posted above concerning masks. I personally look for the points in a paper as I have outlined earlier. Ask people what is a minimal sample size and watch their eyes glaze over. But give them a paper based on 4 individuals with a conclusion noting the information is based on a sample size that is too small and they still use it incorrectly to give credence to their opinions.
This is an issue which shows how effective propaganda is, how bad our educational system is, and how corrupt our government and scientific community have become. No one even is pressing for an answer why the United States was subsidizing the research in Wuhan that led to this pandemic.
I pray we learn our lesson and that our people, who are called by the God’s name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek God’s face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
A remnant may survive and yet humble themselves in repentance and we know the Lord will be faithful and gracious to forgive and heal, but events are still in our hands.
Let US be the ones pressing for an answer why the United States was funding to make a more infectious disease out of the corona virus.
Let US be the ones that insist that our tax revenues are no longer used to abort babies.
Let US be the ones that refuse to allow NPR to broadcast communist propaganda on the taxpayer’s dime.
Let US be the ones to show the United Nations the door and make sure they leave. They base their authority on lies!
As I see it, these are all necessary steps to root out the subversion and prove our repentance as a nation. If our representative government won’t accomplish these acts of penance, it’s time to set up a new one, based on the laws of the Father as revealed through his Son.
I pray that enough good men are left in the land to allow the land to be spared the Wrath we are deserving in our complacency of evil deeds.
Let US be a moral people and remove the evil that has taken over the country.
If science has been corrupted, what is the benefit of peer review? If anything, that would be the control mechanism to shut out any dissent to the party line.
Not all labs are corrupt. However, the corrupt or bought off labs are recognized after a period of time and not used. At least when I was in grad school. Reading what passes for published papers today is a brave new world. Literally. I would be ashamed to be working for some of the journals that are printing little more than opinion pieces without any peer review.
David,
So you admit that much disinformation is prevalent. Common Sense Solution; Wash your hands, be extra careful in the presence of immune compromised individuals (wear a mask and gloves and eye protection), understand that concerns for others should be respected.
This is a psy-op people control “live exercise”, executed by the minority elite to implement A “New World Order” control (George Bush Senior-1988 address on the NWO -- “Thousand Points of Light” Quote: “And we will be successful”!
May God have mercy, Shalom!
I am fairly sure that I have been consistent in that we are being lied to. When did I know this? From my science background when I saw exponential growth in China and the lockdown of entire cities, I knew the truth concerning this threat. When Dr. Redfield lied to Congress stating that masks were ineffective and that we should not need to stock two weeks supply of food, I knew there was a hidden agenda. When I saw and I continue to see a lack of the masks needed to lower the R0 and allow a reduced inoculum, I knew that the agenda included the deaths of as many people as possible.
I disconnected my television 6 weeks ago. Other than wearing a mask to go food shopping and not going out to eat, my life is little changed. I try to understand people in cities and suburbs under a lockdown where it actually impacts their lives. I also try to understand the stress of not having a job, financial debt and coping with children in the house instead of in school. I do not have those stressors because I made changes in my life and minimized debt my whole life. I moved to a safer area and became more self-sufficient. I changed my business model to be 95% internet based. Why did I do these things? Because God told me. I have found that listening to God and His plan always makes life easier.