This piece was sent over the transom by a reader.
“I got my Masters in Microbiology at Cornell. Does that qualify? Stupid. Masks are not designed to stop virions as they are microscopic. Guess what we never wore at the Virology Lab at Columbia-Presbyterian? Masks. Why not? Useless for viral protection.” — Kevin Richards
Dr. Russell Blaylock warns that not only do face masks fail to protect the healthy from getting sick, but they also create serious health risks to the wearer. The bottom line is that if you are not sick, you should not wear a face mask.
As businesses reopen, many are requiring shoppers and employees to wear a face mask. Costco, for instance, will not allow shoppers into the store without wearing a face mask. Many employers are requiring all employees to wear a face mask while at work. In some jurisdictions, all citizens must wear a face mask if they are outside of their own home.
With the advent of the so-called COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a number of medical practices that have little or no scientific support as regards reducing the spread of this infection. One of these measures is the wearing of facial masks, either a surgical-type mask, bandana or N95 respirator mask. When this pandemic began and we knew little about the virus itself or its epidemiologic behavior, it was assumed that it would behave, in terms of spread among communities, like other respiratory viruses. Little has presented itself after intense study of this virus and its behavior to change this perception.
This is somewhat of an unusual virus in that for the vast majority of people infected by the virus, one experiences either no illness (asymptomatic) or very little sickness. Only a very small number of people are at risk of a potentially serious outcome from the infection—mainly those with underlying serious medical conditions in conjunction with advanced age and frailty, those with immune compromising conditions and nursing home patients near the end of their lives. There is growing evidence that the treatment protocol issued to treating doctors by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mainly intubation and use of a ventilator (respirator), may have contributed significantly to the high death rate in these select individuals.
By wearing a mask, the exhaled viruses will not be able to escape and will concentrate in the nasal passages, enter the olfactory nerves and travel into the brain.
Russell Blaylock, MD
As for the scientific support for the use of face mask, a recent careful examination of the literature, in which 17 of the best studies were analyzed, concluded that “ None of the studies established a conclusive relationship between mask/respirator use and protection against influenza infection.”1 Keep in mind, no studies have been done to demonstrate that either a cloth mask or the N95 mask has any effect on transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Any recommendations, therefore, have to be based on studies of influenza virus transmission. And, as you have seen, there is no conclusive evidence of their efficiency in controlling flu virus transmission.
It is also instructive to know that until recently, the CDC did not recommend wearing a face mask or covering of any kind, unless a person was known to be infected. Non-infected people need not wear a mask. When a person has TB we have them wear a mask, not the entire community of non-infected. The recommendations by the CDC and the WHO are not based on any studies of this virus and have never been used to contain any other virus pandemic or epidemic in history.
Several studies have indeed found significant problems with wearing such a mask. This can vary from headaches, to increased airway resistance, carbon dioxide accumulation, to hypoxia, all the way to serious life-threatening complications.
There is a difference between the N95 respirator mask and the surgical mask (cloth or paper mask) in terms of side effects. The N95 mask, which filters out 95% of particles with a median diameter >0.3 µm2 , because it impairs respiratory exchange (breathing) to a greater degree than a soft mask, and is more often associated with headaches. In one such study, researchers surveyed 212 healthcare workers (47 males and 165 females) asking about presence of headaches with N95 mask use, duration of the headaches, type of headaches and if the person had preexisting headaches.2
They found that about a third of the workers developed headaches with use of the mask, most had preexisting headaches that were worsened by the mask wearing, and 60% required pain medications for relief. As to the cause of the headaches, while straps and pressure from the mask could be causative, the bulk of the evidence points toward hypoxia and/or hypercapnia as the cause. That is, a reduction in blood oxygenation (hypoxia) or an elevation in blood C02 (hypercapnia). It is known that the N95 mask, if worn for hours, can reduce blood oxygenation as much as 20%, which can lead to a loss of consciousness, as happened to the hapless fellow driving around alone in his car wearing an N95 mask, causing him to pass out, and to crash his car and sustain injuries. I am sure that we have several cases of elderly individuals or any person with poor lung function passing out, hitting their head. This, of course, can lead to death.
A more recent study involving 159 healthcare workers aged 21 to 35 years of age found that 81% developed headaches from wearing a face mask.3 Some had pre-existing headaches that were precipitated by the masks. All felt like the headaches affected their work performance.
Unfortunately, no one is telling the frail elderly and those with lung diseases, such as COPD, emphysema or pulmonary fibrosis, of these dangers when wearing a facial mask of any kind—which can cause a severe worsening of lung function. This also includes lung cancer patients and people having had lung surgery, especially with partial resection or even the removal of a whole lung.
While most agree that the N95 mask can cause significant hypoxia and hypercapnia, another study of surgical masks found significant reductions in blood oxygen as well. In this study, researchers examined the blood oxygen levels in 53 surgeons using an oximeter. They measured blood oxygenation before surgery as well as at the end of surgeries.4 The researchers found that the mask reduced the blood oxygen levels (pa02) significantly. The longer the duration of wearing the mask, the greater the fall in blood oxygen levels.
The importance of these findings is that a drop in oxygen levels (hypoxia) is associated with an impairment in immunity. Studies have shown that hypoxia can inhibit the type of main immune cells used to fight viral infections called the CD4+ T-lymphocyte. This occurs because the hypoxia increases the level of a compound called hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), which inhibits T-lymphocytes and stimulates a powerful immune inhibitor cell called the Tregs. . This sets the stage for contracting any infection, including COVID-19 and making the consequences of that infection much graver. In essence, your mask may very well put you at an increased risk of infections and if so, having a much worse outcome.5,6,7
People with cancer, especially if the cancer has spread, will be at a further risk from prolonged hypoxia as the cancer grows best in a microenvironment that is low in oxygen. Low oxygen also promotes inflammation which can promote the growth, invasion and spread of cancers.8,9 Repeated episodes of hypoxia has been proposed as a significant factor in atherosclerosis and hence increases all cardiovascular (heart attacks) and cerebrovascular (strokes) diseases.10
There is another danger to wearing these masks on a daily basis, especially if worn for several hours. When a person is infected with a respiratory virus, they will expel some of the virus with each breath. If they are wearing a mask, especially an N95 mask or other tightly fitting mask, they will be constantly rebreathing the viruses, raising the concentration of the virus in the lungs and the nasal passages. We know that people who have the worst reactions to the coronavirus have the highest concentrations of the virus early on. And this leads to the deadly cytokine storm in a selected number.
It gets even more frightening. Newer evidence suggests that in some cases the virus can enter the brain.11,12 In most instances it enters the brain by way of the olfactory nerves (smell nerves), which connect directly with the area of the brain dealing with recent memory and memory consolidation. By wearing a mask, the exhaled viruses will not be able to escape and will concentrate in the nasal passages, enter the olfactory nerves and travel into the brain.13
It is evident from this review that there is insufficient evidence that wearing a mask of any kind can have a significant impact in preventing the spread of this virus. The fact that this virus is a relatively benign infection for the vast majority of the population and that most of the at-risk group also survive, from an infectious disease and epidemiological standpoint, by letting the virus spread through the healthier population we will reach a herd immunity level rather quickly that will end this pandemic quickly and prevent a return next winter. During this time, we need to protect the at-risk population by avoiding close contact, boosting their immunity with compounds that boost cellular immunity and in general, care for them.
One should not attack and insult those who have chosen not to wear a mask, as these studies suggest that is the wise choice to make.
References
- 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.
- Zhu JH et al. Effects of long-duration wearing of N95 respirator and surgical facemask: a pilot study. J Lung Pulm Resp Res 2014:4:97-100.
- Ong JJY et al. Headaches associated with personal protective equipment- A cross-sectional study among frontline healthcare workers during COVID-19. Headache 2020;60(5):864-877.
- Bader A et al. Preliminary report on surgical mask induced deoxygenation during major surgery. Neurocirugia 2008;19:12-126.
- Shehade H et al. Cutting edge: Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 negatively regulates Th1 function. J Immunol 2015;195:1372-1376.
- Westendorf AM et al. Hypoxia enhances immunosuppression by inhibiting CD4+ effector T cell function and promoting Treg activity. Cell Physiol Biochem 2017;41:1271-84.
- Sceneay J et al. Hypoxia-driven immunosuppression contributes to the pre-metastatic niche. Oncoimmunology 2013;2:1 e22355.
- Blaylock RL. Immunoexcitatory mechanisms in glioma proliferation, invasion and occasional metastasis. Surg Neurol Inter 2013;4:15.
- Aggarwal BB. Nucler factor-kappaB: The enemy within. Cancer Cell 2004;6:203-208.
- Savransky V et al. Chronic intermittent hypoxia induces atherosclerosis. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 2007;175:1290-1297.
- Baig AM et al. Evidence of the COVID-19 virus targeting the CNS: Tissue distribution, host-virus interaction, and proposed neurotropic mechanisms. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020;11:7:995-998.
- Wu Y et al. Nervous system involvement after infection with COVID-19 and other coronaviruses. Brain Behavior, and Immunity, In press.
- Perlman S et al. Spread of a neurotropic murine coronavirus into the CNS via the trigeminal and olfactory nerves. Virology 1989;170:556-560.
About the Author
There are some people who are really afraid. I get it. Alot of people with health issues. Ok I will wear a mask out of respect for the ones that are really scared.
I do not think it is that real.
People, stores are going overboard.
The media does not help. Scare tactics. Awful.
Bla bla bla. I’m wearing my mask. I’m also putting up a chain link fence to keep the mosquitoes out of my yard.
Great analogy !
Good analogy
I have been a nurse for 40 years. As a nurse, I have come in contact with many infectious diseases. When a patient is diagnosed with Tuberculosis (TB), the patient is placed in Isolation in a negative pressure room. Who ever enters the room is required to wear a nask. If the patient leaves the room, the patient has to wear a mask.
A mask is a part of the Protective Equipment used to help protect those who are at risk when caring for infectious patients and to protect patients from acquiring infections. I know tbat wearing a mask, gown, and face shield when appropriate helps to keep me safe as well as other health care professionals.
If folks decide not to wear a mask, it is their decision. If folks continue to wear a mask, it is their decision. Be safe, be wise and be vigilant.
hey guys dk some said we should or shouldn’t but one thing they can’t say is who has the virus so how you are gonna know even i’m talking with someone symptomatic person as well who know 🙄
No. Your masters degree from Cornell does not make you the expert. You are proving it. Lots of people go to a school and learn to give the correct answer back to the professor and end up with a 4.0 degree and never learn a darn thing, except how to be a parrot.
I wonder if N.Y. Gov. Cuomo went to this famous Cornell to learn to put all the covid patients in nursing homes and kill all our parents and grandparents ?
I see you’ve learned how to twist words and manipulate facts to make a point that can endanger people, but that doesn’t make you smart. Whether or not you gained tons of information and medical facts at Cornell, I have to wonder if you learned the value of an open mind and the application of common sense information that produces positive results.
As far as not wearing masks in the lab at school ? $10 says your professor had you studying and working on controlled experiments that were not as transmittable or deadly as this virus, so the writer’s statement makes no point, except to mislead.
In one part of this post the writer tells us that the face mask does not capture the virus and therefore does not keep it from spreading. My words are not an exact quote, but that is what we are being told. Then we are warned here by his Dr. Blaylock that wearing a mask actually very well harm the wearer because the virus is trapped by the mask and sucked back into the lungs and brain. Isn’t that the exact opposite of what the writer is attempting to have us believe ? That the virus isn’t affected by a mask and goes where it wants ? So, which is it ?
I am no expert. The writer is correct in the instance where the microscopic virus is travelling alone. In my opinion the masks oftentimes can stop the transmission of the virus because the virus is not alone in it’s travels. It has piggybacked on a bit of condensation, moisture or spittle and is stopped and trapped by the mask or scarf, or whatever, and does protect the innocent on the outside of the mask. 100% of the time ? No, but often enough. Makes sense, right ? Practical application with a limited education in microbiology ? Matches what Dr. Blaylock says ?
So, why say the masks /scarves never work and try to get people hurt ? Just to make a point I from past studies in microbiology ? Really ?
Folks like Northam and Trump don’t wear masks in public because they are part of the lucky few that get a test at least once a day and it’s the test that gives results in 5 minutes. So don’t compare them to the rest of us. They know they haven’t been exposed and aren’t giving it to anyone else.
Okay, so now as to the part where there are no tests and no studies that PROVE that masks and sanitizing and cleaning hands help control the virus……..how about some practical experience and knowledge that we can watch being applied in Taiwan ?
This is a very interesting and diverse area of this great country. People are from everywhere. Do you know anyone from Taiwan ? Have you looked at the stats on this corona virus and how it’s affected Taiwan ? Taiwan is pretty close to China, right ? As in, well who is closer ? Yeah, so why are their stats better than most countries ? I know folks here from Taiwan. Recently met servicemen born in Taiwan, moved here, became American citizens and just went and visited relatives in Taiwan in early March. None of them have, nor does anyone in their family in Taiwan have the virus. They smiled and weren’t the slightest bit worried. It perplexed me, so I asked. The response from all was “we are smart and experienced. We learned from before. We are used to this kind of thing coming from China. SARS and other viruses. The moment we hear there’s another outbreak, we sanitize all the time, wear masks and wash our hands a lot. We don’t like it but it works.” Big smile and conversation moves on.
Believe who you all want. Listen to who you want. Be safe out there.
No, MJM, Andy Cuomo, the ignorant and psychopathic Democratic Socialist governor of New York did not go Cornell to learn to put all the covid patients in nursing homes and kill all our parents and grandparents.
He went to law school somewhere else to learn to put all the COVID patients in nursing homes like so many “smallpox blankets” to kill all our parents and grandparents, and that for partisan political purposes related to hiding the fact that in January of this year, Andy had the state $6 BILLION in the hole due to “Medicaid overspending,” which is another way of saying Medicaid fraud, and looting the federal treasury and making Trump look bad going into the November presidential election.
Now I know you are fact-oriented, MJM, and don’t like emotional appeals, so with respect to the timeline or chronology here, which is important with respect to understanding what is very much a SCAM being perpetrated on us by Andy Cuomo and the Democrats, first consider this article from QNS.com entitled “Coronavirus concerning, but not as big a threat as other illnesses, Cuomo says” by Mark Hallum on March 2, 2020, to wit:
Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio made a rare partnership in a Monday press conference briefing the public on coronavirus as the first confirmed case in Manhattan was reported Sunday night.
Cuomo emphasized that while coronavirus is concerning, it’s not as grave a threat as other illnesses such as ebola or influenza.
“Avian flu, ebola, SARS, MERS, measles, right?”
“So we have gone through this before,” Cuomo continued.
“When you look at the reality here, about 80% of people who are infected with the coronavirus self-resolve… 20% get ill.”
“The mortality rate estimated to be about 1.4% – what does that mean?”
“The normal flu mortality rate is about 0.6%.”
end quotes
So, fifty-four (54) days AFTER the first CDC alert on COVID, Democratic Socialist governor Andy Cuomo was telling the people of New York state COVID was small potatoes, nothing to worry about.
Fix that date in your head, MJM, because on March 14, 2020, just twelve (12) days later, the same Bill DeBlasio held another press conference, this time with Democratic Socialist U.S. senator from New York City Charley “Chuck” Schumer, and this is what Charley “Chuck” had to say on that occasion, to wit:
Senator Charles Schumer: Well, thank you, Mayor.
And thank you for the good and long work that you are doing as well as the hundreds of thousands of city workers who work for you in health care and first responding in all the other places where we need the help.
end quotes
Twelve days earlier on 2 March 2020, this same DeBlasio was saying COVID was nothing to worry about, while he encouraged people to go out and mingle.
Twelve days later, Charley “Chuck” Schumer is making him out to be a hero, which is sheer political horse****.
Getting back to Charley “Chuck”:
So, what we passed last night or what the House passed last night is a lifeline.
I’ll get into the details in a minute.
But we have a crisis in this country as seen by the unfortunate death last night.
And I am really glad that Congress took action and our action was aimed at families, working people who were affected and need the help most desperately.
And we passed the kinds of things that matter to them – free testing for the coronavirus.
You do not want — these are the six things – we do not want people who are – who might have it, but say the doctor will charge me a couple of hundred dollars.
I’m not going to go and then walk around with it.
We strengthened food assistance to both the elderly and the kids who were not in school for whatever reason.
And that’s their best meal and they can’t get it.
They are safeguarding the medical benefits.
That’s FMAP.
I’ll get to that in a minute.
That’s the real biggest benefit for New York directly.
We enhance unemployment aid.
If you’re unemployed, all those poor people, you read about Broadway and Barclay’s center, what are the people who collect the tickets or who clean the place up or who sell the food going to do?
They don’t have jobs, paid family leave, sick leave won’t help them, but we’ve greatly expanded and made more flexible unemployment benefits so they can get them.
And then there is paid leave, both family and sick leave.
You get 14 days of sick leave, you get full pay and then you get another three months of family leave for yourself or if your kid’s home, if your spouse is sick or whatever else.
So those are good things.
Very good things.
end quotes
RULE ONE of Democrat party politics is to create a panic or a crisis, and then exploit that crisis for all it is worth while you have people scared and unable to think, which takes us back to Charley “Chuck” and the bull**** political nature of this Democrat-created COVID CRISIS, to wit:
Now, despite President Trump’s downplaying the issue, pointing fingers of blame at all people like the press, calling it a hoax, tell the family of the woman who died that it’s a hoax.
end quotes
What cheek, Charley “Chuck, because who was downplaying the issue in New York state and New York City was not Trump – it was Andy Cuomo and Bill DeBlasio.
Getting back to Charley “Chuck” and his spew of political bull****, we have:
And basically, just not stating the facts correctly.
He was forced to go along with what Congress wanted.
First the original bill, which dealt with the vaccines and getting our own health care agencies up and going [inaudible] remember, called for $2 billion.
I called for $8.5 billion.
The package we passed was $8.3 billion.
end quotes
Ah, yes, the money grab, which is really what this COVID CRISIS is all about.
Getting back to Charley “Chuck”:
Last Thursday, sorry, last Tuesday, I said he should declare an emergency so he can use FEMA and the dollars that FEMA has.
He just said that yesterday.
And maybe most importantly, these six things are what Nancy and I called for, Speaker Pelosi and I called for Saturday, last Sunday.
And these are the six things in the bill.
No giveaways to oil companies or other things they were thinking of in the White House.
So now, it was disgraceful that Leader McConnell left town last night.
The Congress, the House was debating and voting.
We could have had this done already, but he left.
But now I am calling on Leader McConnell to move this package immediately when we return on Monday, as is.
No new amendments to help some special interest.
Nothing.
Everyone’s going to have a lot of good ideas.
There’s going to be a third package and a fourth package and a fifth package.
But if we add things to this, has to go back to the House, back and forth.
The people of New York and the people of America can’t wait.
So, Leader McConnell, let’s get moving.
Pass this package as is, ASAP.
And I hope they’ll do that.
end quotes
I don’t know about you, MJM, but this political posturing by this windbag Charley “Chuck” Schumer makes me puke!
Twelve days after Andy Cuomo and Bill DeBlasio said COVID was no problem, all of a sudden it is a huge problem, and there are the Democrats with their snouts in the trough right up to their ears, looting the U.S. treasury to the tune of TRILLIONS of dollars, which again takes us back to Charley “Chuck” Schumer, to wit:
Now, for New York.
There are lots of benefits for New York, but none is bigger than what’s called FMAP.
And I have over the years I’ve been in the Senate used FMAP to channel money at times of need into state and local governments.
And New York does better than just about anybody else because we have the large — FMAP is Medicaid and we have the largest Medicaid population in the country.
end quotes
And New York has a documented history of Medicaid fraud going back to the 1970s: https://www.google.com/search?ei=EKPLXsXIGbirytMPuaiesAs&q=1976+medicaid+fraud+in+new+york&oq=1976+medicaid+fraud+in+new+york&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzIICCEQFhAdEB4yCAghEBYQHRAeMggIIRAWEB0QHjoFCAAQkQI6BQgAEIMBOgIIADoECAAQQzoICAAQgwEQkQI6BwgAEIMBEENQ0pieAliGkp8CYKiZnwJoAHAAeACAAcICiAGaF5IBCDI1LjUuMC4xmAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpeg&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwjFkKWH7M7pAhW4lXIEHTmUB7YQ4dUDCAs&uact=5#spf=1590430880261 !
Getting back to Charley “Chuck”:
And traditionally the federal government pays 50 percent of Medicaid and the State government and the localities together pay 50 percent.
In almost all states, it’s only the state government.
In New York and North Carolina, the locals have to pay.
We have raised that amount to 56.2 percent.
That’s what the federal government will pay so the State and local share goes down concomitantly two 43.8 percent.
That will mean $6.2 billion for New York on an annual basis.
It’s done quarterly.
If you went to the quarter and still have the virus, you get it for the whole quarter so you can prorate it by one quarter.
If you know, luckily enough, there is no coronavirus by the fourth quarter of next year, it’ll be three quarters of the amount I give.
And we divide the money between the State and the localities.
New York City will get over $1 billion and that will be — it will enable them, since it will help pay their Medicaid to use other dollars that might’ve had to go to Medicaid, to go to all the needs that you were talking about.
Mayor: [Inaudible]?
Senator Schumer: Well, I am a Brooklynite.
We say next, when other people say this.
2020, fourth quarter of 2020.
I always confuse that with my staff – this year, next year, this week, next week.
I forgot who’s right, which one is right and which one is wrong.
Okay, so it’s fourth quarter of this year, 2020.
The City gets a billion.
The other counties and localities in the state get $400 million, the State gets $5.2 billion.
There’s a lot of money there.
end quotes
There’s a lot of money there on 14 March 2020 when twelve days earlier, on 2 March 2020, COVID was nothing to worry about, and more to the point, there’s a lot of money there for a state with a long documented history of Medicaid fraud that was $6 BILLION in the hole just two months earlier in January 2020.
But thanks to COVID, that all got hushed up as if that Medicaid fraud had never existed.
And back again to Charley “Chuck” Schumer we go:
And it will be used to help our states and localities that are on the front line with all of their other expenses.
It’ll probably help the State review, solve some of their Medicaid problems that we’ve talked about previously as well.
We used FMAP in 2003 when the fiscal, when there was a downturn and most notably, we used it very significantly and very successfully in 2008.
And each time I wrote a provision into the law that localities could not be, they had to get a good share, a decent share of the money.
And that’s back in the law.
And this time there’s over $1 billion of employment benefits that go to the State.
As I said, we loosened up unemployment, how quickly you can apply and under what conditions.
And then there’s money in many other things.
There’s about $15 million from meals to seniors.
There was money for all kinds of other things.
And then there are all the things that we mentioned that go to New Yorkers, not to the city or state governments, that I mentioned before in terms of sick leave and in terms of paid leave, in terms of free testing, things like that.
So this is really a lifesaver for New York during a difficult time, and that’s what the federal government should do.
So, I hope the — I believe and hope the Senate will pass this quickly and then we will have to move on because there are other issues that we’re going to have to deal with as well.
This will not be the last coronavirus relief bill at all.
end quotes
Several TRILLION dollars later, we can see that Charley “Chuck” was indeed speaking truth there.
And for that to happen, that financial windfall to a corrupt state, all that was needed was for Andy Cuomo to not only let COVID spread to create a crisis, but to enhance that spread and the crisis he created by shipping COVID patients from New York City like so many “smallpox blankets” all over upstate New York, which is largely rural, so that thanks to Andy Cuomo, COVID is in every county of New York, and is in the nursing homes, as well.
My question is, how do surgeons not pass out when doing super long surgeries? Are masked swapped out for new masks while surgery is going on?
Having had surgery, which means having had the opportunity first-hand to see what the surgeons are wearing, it is really little more than a drape made of gauze, the purpose of which is to prevent the passage of germs from the surgeon’s nose and mouth into the patient’s wound.