Guest Post by Ian Miller
The Experts™” have repeatedly tried to deflect from the failure of their policies with misdirection.
The reason lockdowns didn’t work in the United States or the United Kingdom is because they weren’t strict enough, according to many in the expert community.
Of course, their excuses have been conveniently ignored as China’s repressive zero COVID lockdowns have continued, with horrific consequences.
Now that mass protests have broken out in the country that “The Experts™” revered for their COVID handling, there’s a massive effort to disregard their own previous advocacy.
This is perhaps best exemplified by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who clearly used authoritarian measures to suppress the protests in his own country, while now supporting Chinese demonstrations.
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) November 30, 2022
The bewildering lack of awareness of their own hypocrisy seems to be a feature of COVID-obsessed politicians and public health authorities.
Another similar, oft-repeated assertion is that the failure of universal masking can be explained by the type of masks being used by the public.
Even though the CDC and Dr. Fauci explicitly claimed that wearing anything to cover your face would be effective at preventing transmission, many have now quietly dismissed that messaging.
Fauci specifically said that “cloth coverings work,” not just surgical or N95s. Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams famously suggested that rolling up a t-shirt in front of your face would be effective protection.
Yet public health departments and the media are now highlighting the importance of “high quality,” “well-fitted” masks.
Their desperation to justify masking has led to remarkably poor studies being released to support their anti-science messaging.
There is new research that has been released showing that masks are ineffective, regardless of type.
And it’s not just new research, it’s high quality research.
Finally, Another RCT on Mask Wearing
The Annals of Internal Medicine just published a randomized controlled trial comparing the ability of medical masks to prevent COVID infection to fit-tested N95s.
Importantly, this trial was conducted on healthcare workers who would be most likely to use masks appropriately.
To determine whether medical masks are noninferior to N95 respirators to prevent COVID-19 in health care workers providing routine care.
That trial design was also important as it was meant to determine whether or not N95 respirators were superior to “regular” surgical masks.
They examined 29 different health care facilities on multiple continents, from North America to Asia and Africa.
The percentage of healthcare workers testing positive for COVID in each group was tracked to determine how effective or ineffective higher-quality masking was in preventing infection.
Unsurprisingly, the results confirmed that there is essentially zero difference between surgical or N95 respirators when it comes to tests results.
In the intention-to-treat analysis, RT-PCR–confirmed COVID-19 occurred in 52 of 497 (10.46%) participants in the medical mask group versus 47 of 507 (9.27%) in the N95 respirator group (hazard ratio [HR], 1.14 [95% CI, 0.77 to 1.69]). An unplanned subgroup analysis by country found that in the medical mask group versus the N95 respirator group RT-PCR–confirmed COVID-19 occurred in 8 of 131 (6.11%) versus 3 of 135 (2.22%) in Canada (HR, 2.83 [CI, 0.75 to 10.72]), 6 of 17 (35.29%) versus 4 of 17 (23.53%) in Israel (HR, 1.54 [CI, 0.43 to 5.49]), 3 of 92 (3.26%) versus 2 of 94 (2.13%) in Pakistan (HR, 1.50 [CI, 0.25 to 8.98]), and 35 of 257 (13.62%) versus 38 of 261 (14.56%) in Egypt (HR, 0.95 [CI, 0.60 to 1.50]). There were 47 (10.8%) adverse events related to the intervention reported in the medical mask group and 59 (13.6%) in the N95 respirator group.
52 of 497 participants who wore medical masks got COVID-19, and 47 of 507 in the N95 group got COVID-19.
No matter how “high quality” your mask is, it’s entirely irrelevant.
The researchers also took pains to ensure that the control and treatment groups shared as many similarities as possible.
They excluded workers who could not pass a fit test, had laboratory-confirmed COVID, or “had received 1 or more doses of a COVID-19 vaccine with greater than 50% efficacy for the circulating strain.”
Yet none of that mattered; there was no difference in outcomes between the medical and N95 level masks.
The N95s in use were even specifically fit tested and approved respirators, far from the KN95s commonly used by the general public.
“Health care workers randomly assigned to the N95 respirator group were instructed to use a fit-tested National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health–approved N95 respirator when providing routine care to patients with COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19.”
It didn’t matter.
Even more importantly, these disappointing results were from facilities with universal masking policies in place.
Everyone, in each health care facility, “for all activities,” was required to wear masks.
The intervention included universal masking, which was the policy implemented at each site. This refers to the use of a mask when in the health care facility for all activities, whether patient related or not, including in workrooms, meetings, and treating persons that were not suspected or known to be positive for COVID-19.
It still didn’t work.
They even tracked potential exposure points, whether at home, in the community or in hospital exposures.
There was no difference.
What’s even more impressive about the futility of masking is that outside of Egypt, the observed results occurred before the more contagious Omicron variant emerged.
There were substantial differences in results between countries, which indicates the impact of N95s might have been further muted had it covered the Omicron period.
Canada, which was observed pre-Omicron, showed the biggest “benefit” to N95s, while post-Omicron Egypt was nearly identical.
It’s possible that the mild difference in Canada could have been erased entirely if subjected to the Omicron era.
On top of being functionally useless, N95s were substantially more likely to result in adverse effects.
According to the results page, there were significantly more reported issues in the respirator group:
“There were 47 (10.8%) adverse events related to the intervention reported in the medical mask group and 59 (13.6%) in the N95 respirator group.”
This becomes even more noteworthy since compliance with respirator masking was lower.
“Adherence with the assigned medical mask or N95 respirator was self-reported as “always” in 91.2% in the medical mask group versus 80.7% in the N95 respirator group and as “always” or “sometimes” in 97.7% in the medical mask group versus 94.4% in the N95 respirator group.”
While still extremely high, health care workers “always” wore N95s 80.7% of the time instead of 91.2% for medical masks.
This is one of the many issues the “experts” now pushing for (now disproven) “higher-quality” masking should address.
Health care professionals who are trained to use N95s can’t always use them yet experience higher rates of adverse effects.
Imagine how much worse compliance would be among the general public, especially if 13% are suffering significant side effects.
Results Show Expert Incompetence
This is yet another randomized controlled trial to show that masks do not work.
It also confirms the DANMASK study conducted earlier in the pandemic, which proved there was no benefit from masking in COVID prevention.
Even the Bangladeshi study, comparing villages, showed there was no benefit to masking at a population level. They used statistical misdirection and purposeful p-hacking to try and generate a positive result, and still could only get to a ~10% reduction for those over 50.
No matter the quality, no matter the compliance, masks are entirely ineffective at preventing transmission or infection.
The participants in this examination lived and worked in environments where universal masking was a requirement.
It didn’t matter.
This also examined health care workers, who, in theory, would be using and disposing of medical or N95 level masks properly.
There was no difference.
Now imagine how much worse the results would look for mask fanatics if it examined the Fauci-approved cloth coverings.
If “The Experts™” actually cared about following “the science,” or “the evidence,” this would once again be the nail in the coffin for masking.
More like the 40th nail in the coffin.
We have observational evidence through population-level comparisons that masks do not prevent the spread of COVID.
We also now have multiple randomized controlled trials confirming that masks do not prevent the spread of COVID.
And we have extremely well done comparisons of neighboring jurisdictions confirming it.
All the mask fanatics have is politically motivated wishful thinking, desperate advocacy from disproven CDC “studies,” and a commitment to avoiding reality.
Fauci and his health authority allies have lied to the public repeatedly about masking. The obsession with credentialism and appeals to authority within the media has resulted in tremendous, unjustified harm.
You’d hope that results like these would finally end their ridiculous posturing, but it’s abundantly clear they’re too dug in to ever relent.
But thankfully those paying attention now have even more ammunition in the fight for the inarguable scientific reality that masks do not work.
It is my sincere desire to provide readers of this site with the best unbiased information available, and a forum where it can be discussed openly, as our Founders intended. But it is not easy nor inexpensive to do so, especially when those who wish to prevent us from making the truth known, attack us without mercy on all fronts on a daily basis. So each time you visit the site, I would ask that you consider the value that you receive and have received from The Burning Platform and the community of which you are a vital part. I can't do it all alone, and I need your help and support to keep it alive. Please consider contributing an amount commensurate to the value that you receive from this site and community, or even by becoming a sustaining supporter through periodic contributions. [Burning Platform LLC - PO Box 1520 Kulpsville, PA 19443] or Paypal
-----------------------------------------------------
To donate via Stripe, click here.
-----------------------------------------------------
Use promo code ILMF2, and save up to 66% on all MyPillow purchases. (The Burning Platform benefits when you use this promo code.)
Great!
Now get this info out there, so everyone will stop wearing their masks, and, especially, stop trying to get us to wear their masks.
Waste of time.
I have explained to several how the masks are ineffective.
The mAsses don’t care. It has nothing to do with effectiveness and everything to do with “being seen to be doing what the herd does”. Nothing but virtue signalling.
Fact and logic are useless against the willfully ignorant and illogical.
Even more so, they don’t want to be seen as a “denier”. The psychological manipulation power of that word is mind blowing.
Same thing with the jab. Today a “pop up” mass jab site appeared in San Diego. Immediately 6 people keeled over. If people can’t put 2+2 together at this point then I say good riddance.
Off topic, but speaking of masks, this left wing dunderhead doesn’t even know that “Patriot Front” is 100% comprised of FBI agents. Everything about these guys screams “glowie”.
That N95 masks worn properly by trained users don’t have any protective effects against a large virus such as COVID-19 is surprising to say the least. I hope there are serious follow on studies. If true then it would mean N95 masks are ineffective against another whole range of hazards for which they are commonly believed to provide protection.
The ancillary question is: What does it take to provide respiratory protection against large viruses, bacteriophages, bacteria, fungal spores, and other biological hazards? It is very important these questions get answered!
N95s are good for dust when sanding metal or wood, nothing else.
NBC suit.
Old news. The fiber spacing between quality N95 masks is 500 micron; Covid-1984 is 300 micron in diameter (granted this is whatever was isolated as Covid-1984). RSV is 200 micron. It’d be more appropriate for the useful idiots to wear a ball bag in lieu of any mask.
OH!!! Ball bag.
You mean one of THESE:
There are no Google images for what I was thinking you meant!!!
Giggity
The COVID virus is 0.4 microns in diameter; the only place I’ve read that the mask stops the virus is in USA Today in articles written by their staff writers quoting unknown researchers
Potato, padidlo.
thank you
Holt shite man the c d c did a controlled study in a hospital and proved that under the best possible conditions masks don’t f*****g work. I think it was 1981. there have been dozens more since then. Masks cannot now nor ever have been able to prevent the inhaling or exhaling of a virus.
I think you should be talking nanometers (10 e-9 meter) and not microns (10 e-6 meter). The best estimate I saw for what may be the size of a Sars-Cov-2 virus is around 125 nanometers. For reference, that is toward the shorter end of the range of wavelength for ultraviolet light (10nm to 400nm).
Size of a filter mesh is not the whole story-mechanisms like electrostatic attraction and other second order effects might be of some value for protection against virus particles of that size. Seems like the real elephant in the room is how well-or not-a mask of that type fits the wearer.
Sometimes common sense is the best way out: stay home instead of going to the rock concert with 20,000 others when confirmed illnesses in your area are rampant.
The ancients put face masks on their slaves to dehumanize them and destroy their identity. That is what they are doing. Joe Biden could publicly admit this on tv and the public STILL won’t take the dam thing off. Some people want to be abused.
Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused
The sum total is that there was no need for any of these studies.
The diameter of the virus is 0.4 microns; the diameter of the smallest pore in the N95 is 200 microns.
Or as my nephew said at the beinning of last summer, “I’m a gonna put up chicken wire to make my backyard mosquito-free.”
my mom is in a 180 bed rehab center recovering from a fall –when you enter you have to face a screen that takes your temp & then enter your cell #,then confirm that you haven’t been around any covid carriers–
this last week one patient tested positive 4 covid so the entire center is now back to masking —
few of the patients wear a mask unless told to put it on & probably half or more of the staff do not wear the mask over their nose,many have it below their mouth —
What test do they use ? Nobody ever answers me.
I’ve been wondering about the validity of the so-called antigen tests (lateral flow).
No matter their validity in real life, their validity in “trust the science”-world is measured by how they perform COMPARED TO the PCR “test”.
That is, they determine the accuracy of all other tests by comparing the results to the results of a PCR test.
There is no longer any easy, reliable way to know the truth. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t instantly know what’s bullshit.
If you meet anyone who doesn’t grasp this, give them the following question to be answered in three seconds: “What is 27 times 64?” 3 … 2 … 1 … no answer?
Then ask a second question: “Does 27 times 64 equal 5?” 3 … “No, of course not!”
The point?
Even when it takes time, thought, and information to come up with the accurate, correct answer; an INcorrect answer is usually instantly identifiable.
Kary Mullis, the inventor of the PCR test said it could not diagnose any infection of any kind. It cannot distinguish between live and dead matter. If they are using a rapid antigen test, ask them just what antigen they are testing for? There is no reliable test.
Tampa,best of luck with mum,perhaps consider if ya’s can taking her home with you,shits getting too weird to trust any in the med field seems to me..
thanks james,
she is tentatively due out in about 10 days –she is actually stronger now than when she went in but the problem is her dementia –she forgets that she is always to use the walker or the wheelchair so she is a bad fall risk–
she has also tried to walk out a couple of times,prompting them to put an electronic bracelet on her ankle which sets off an alarm if she gets near an outside door —
the current plan is 4 her to go to my sister’s house 4 a couple of weeks & then to go home–
if that doesn’t work out i have a 12’x30′ outside office in my backyard that i can do a quickie remodel on try letting her live there —
Would it perhaps have been cheaper to just read the Manufacturer’s disclaimer on the outside of the box?
Asking for a friend.
These days, that disclaimer has been removed from all mask boxes. I think they have been removed since 2021.
Are all the lawyers on strike?
Started my environmental biz in 1989, started cleaning up & testing for mold in 2001. So, have some experience with PPE (Personal Peotective Equipment), as follows:
1. N95 masks are designed to filter 95% of particulates that are >0.3 microns (“µm”). Viral particles are <1.2 µm.
2. The paper masks are poorly fitted; you're always going to get "side" bypass of air. You need to have a half-face, fitted respirator with disposable cartridges to be somewhat effective.
3. I made my employees change masks every house and dispose. They get clogged by sweat and dust…and mold, bacteria & viral matter. O2 intake can get reduced by 10%+, which is unhealthy, to say the least.
4. The crappy surgical masks fostered intake of micro plastics and other toxins.
So, N95 masks are quite useless and can be harmful. Nor to mention the psychological damage to everyone.
How about fitting with those of us with beards?!
As far as I know, you cannot properly fit an N95 mask in a bearded person (ha, see what I did there?) and get a good seal (I used to get fit tested once a year using sucrose method).
So they should make healthcare workers shave their beards just like they make female astronauts have short hair. Hmmmm wait a second…
It still amazes that people don’t understand this part.
Forget about micron sizes of filters and viruses; if there’s a quarter-inch gap by your nose, that’s irrelevant.
Fluids (like air) take the path of least resistance … ALWAYS.
If there is not an AIR-TIGHT seal to your face; then air, exhalations, and, thus, viruses are not going through ANY filter …. PERIOD!
The only thing any mask is useful for is collecting the small minority of viruses that do not pass AROUND the mask so that you can then re-breathe them on the next inhale.
Read it.
Read it again.
Understand it.
Read it again.
Grok it.
Read it again.
As I have said before, the only sure way is to wrap your head in cling film. No covid will penetrate to infect.
Went to a concert today. The entire chorus singing with masks on. Bothered the heck out of me.
I should do a better job just letting it go. All it does is get my blood pressure up. People make their own choices and I can’t do anything about it.
I just can’t believe anyone wears s mask anymore, I’m in Florida haven’t seen people wear masks in a long time. Its definitely odd to see the lone person wearing one they get looks for sure. That’s how we spot tourists from new England
Or from NEW England.
At the concert, I saw the Director if Infectious Disease unit of the local hospital, wearing an N95 mask, as one of maybe 10% of the audience.
It really is a mental disease. If you suffer from a phobia of sick, and especially of infectious people, DON’T GO INTO THE FIELD OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES. It’s like someone with a dog phobia become a dog trainer or someone afraid of heights become a bridge inspector.
I understand now why nuns were nurses in the olden days. They were able to do their jobs without fear of becoming ill themselves because they knew that God would either protect them or that it would all be worth it in eternity.
I can’t believe people think a piece of paper over their face is a mask. Smh- You would need to use a full face respirator. Dual organic vapour cartridges each with prefilter, shaved face, seal test, and you still wouldn’t believe what makes it in(or comes out of your lungs). Masks for regular breathing is a joke. Why are we trying treat our living space as a 3 level biolab? It’s already “escaped” the lab, but were going to stop it from entering our homes and spaces? Its the real fucking world. Clown World. Check what painters use to eliminate VOCs and isocyanates from 3M. The Fullface respirators also separate the eyes from your mouth and nose. Dual rubber seal protection, Strapped fairly snuggly to your face. Two intakes of separate filters and exhausting out and down. Paper masks just make you exhaust your lungs into your eyeballs and suffocate you. Recycled diaper coverings are a joke for contagious biohazard.
I’ve painted a couple cars using a dual cartridge mask. If I couldn’t smell the solvent it was working. The filters were rated for isocyanates and radon daughters. It was uncomfortable, hot and was a relief to take it off after getting out of the paint booth. NOBODY is going to wear something like that all day.
I’ve worn one for up to 16 hours a day, sometimes easy for a four hour strech without removal. That was my job wore it everyday for years. You get used to it. The strap marks go away rashes are common and sweat will build up inside. There are uncomfortable but they work. Recycled diapers do not. That was my point. Real masks will work but they want us to wear a joke? You must to comply with a joke?
The mask serves no purpose other then to dehumanize you. Every time you wear it to enter a doctor’s office or store you are feeding the beast. There is no mask law, it is not illegal to enter a place of business without one. All they can do is ask you to leave. Most won’t, they will just try to bully you. Stand your ground. Ask for the contact information to their legal department. If enough people do that they will drop it. Stand up you pussies.
The only thing that will protect the wearer is a supplied air mask. As for not spreading a disease, all masks have a fatal flaw, you have to breath out. You would have to filter exhalation, which would making breathing hard and mask wearing times shorter. All masks must have a tight fit or you will breath in unfiltered air. All must have a tight fit with no places that break the seal, like facial hair and some piercings. The filters must be for the correct mists and particulate size. Unless you want to look like a nurse in an isolation unit, you aren’t accomplishing much with theses masks. It is a feel good attempt.
Why filter the exhalation? The outside world is a level 3 biolab? according to experts…..
Why, to protect grandma, of course.
People who wear N95s have the idea that surgical masks don’t protect them, but that N95s do. Regardless of whether this is true (the above study shows it isn’t true), they think they need the N95 filter to be protected, but apparently don’t know that it doesn’t filter exhalation. Or, they just stopped giving a shit about “protecting grandma”.
People wear N95s as an outward sign that they know that surgical masks do nothing.
That is, those who wear N95s might agree that wearing surgical masks is virtue signalling; but it is the wearing of N95s that is the ultimate in virtue signalling because they’re too dumb to recognize that they’re still “killing grandma”.
I’m wearing an N95 mask while choking out grandma with bread. All overseen by the military here. She wouldn’t comply by eating her breakfast fast enough. So the Canadian military thought it would do ultimate virtue signaling by documenting how Grandma was a useless at eating eater and thus it was ok. We Snuffed out your Grandma but we wore a mask and documented it so we fixed the problem. Next! Oh boy my other Grandma is so lucky to get a room in the old folks home, the military is fixing the wait times. Bread can be a counter measure too. And Canadians are heartless hosers. Most don’t realize their own children, neighbours, nurses, Drs. Military, Police and Politicians have become Agents Against You. That’s why they wear masks when they do it. They can’t even show their wretched faces.