Dr. Aseem Malhotra terminated by Kaufman Institute

In a recent appearance on BBC news Dr. Aseem Malhotra spoke of the explosion in cardiovascular related events and reccomended suspending the on-going mass covid-19 vaccination campaign being conducted by Britain’s National Health Service (NHS).

You can view that BBC broadcast here: 

This writer has just learned that the world famous Kaufman Institute For Coincidence (KIFC) will be severing all ties with Dr. Malhotra where he’s been serving as a senior advisor. A formal announcement is expected to be issued on Monday January 16th 2023. Dr. Malhotra has thus far not responded to a request for comment.

The Kaufman Institute For Coincidence specializes in treating all manner of medical emergencies such as strokes, heart attacks and cardiac arrests. These events are all recognized as cardiovascular events, which is Dr. Malhotra’s area of expertise.  He is a recognized and world reknowned expert in the field of cardiology. Kaufman however prides itself on never seeking to find or even question the underlying cause of medical emergencies, the institute simply treats them as coincidences.

“Dr. Malhotra’s comments on the BBC in no way reflect the position of the Kaufman Institute For Coincidence”, said Meh Blasé, Kaufman’s senior director of media communications. Blasé continued: “At Kaufman we pride ourselves on never looking for root causes, or even speculating about them. We are big supporters of the NHS and even if there is a connection between the increase in cardiovascular and other medical emergencies and the covid vaccines, we don’t care”.

The Kaufman Institute had recently launched a major media campaign to raise its public profile, with videos airing on popular social media platforms like Twitter. You can view one of their recent ads below.

How to combat vaccine hesitancy? Stop censoring experts...

I don't consider myself vaccine hesitant, because I have had them all.  Looking at my immunization record book I see that I've had: Polio, MMR, dTap, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Meningitis, and while it's not listed I know I've also taken a shot for Tetanus.

The big one lacking of course is the Covid shot, or shots I guess.  

Why not?  There are a number of reasons actually.  

Firstly I've never been worried about this Covid bug, like a large segment of the population (many of whom have rolled up their sleeves regardless) I've never been concerned about contracting this virus.  I know the world is a dangerous place, there are influenzas, RSV, staph infections, streps, gastro intestinal bugs and on and on.  The world is full of pathogens, any one of which can be incredibly serious and sometimes fatal.  Younger healthy people die in this country all the time, it happened before Covid, and it will happen after Covid.  

Another reason is the speed at which they were developed.  While it's true that a number of roadblocks were removed, and vaccine developers went "all in" on the development of these shots, science hasn't solved the problem of speeding up the calendar.  Establishing a long term safety profile takes time, and none of the authorized shots has even completed its Phase 3 trial.  Moderna's is first up with an estimated study completion date in October of 2022, more than a year from today.

But probably the single biggest reason for my hesitancy is the censorship of basically anyone who dares to raise questions. I don't have a degree in any field of science or medicine, so I am not qualified to speak to this with any degree of expertise.  I have taken science courses at the University level, undergraduate studies, so I'm not completely scientifically illiterate, but I know I'm out of my depth. 

Someone like Dr. Robert Malone however is absolutely qualified.  Google is now the expert on everything that is true and false, of anything that qualifies as misinformation.  Fair enough, and according to Google Scholar Dr. Robert Malone is an inventor of both mRNA and DNA vaccines.  He has an impecable academic CV which includes highly respected schools like Northwestern and Harvard, and he worked at the prestigious Salk Institute.  

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Jf1bApYAAAAJ&hl=en

But he is now censored and deplatformed due to his views on these vaccines.  His concerns over the potential for long term safety issues is banned with near Nazi type zeal.  One has to go to some alternative site like Rumble or Bitchute in order to hear him.  His video with Dr. Weinstein enumerating some of his concerns has been tossed down YouTube's memory hole.

Dr. Byram Bride, a viral immunologist with Guelph University is another.  He was considered esteemed enough that his lab at Guelph U was awarded $230,000 from Ontario's government to study four vaccines under development back in May of 2020.  Now he too is being censored, although having no real social media footprint to speak of deplatforming wasn't needed.  That didn't stop others from creating fake Twitter accounts that published dubious tweets in his name in an attempt to slander this respected academic.  

There's Dr. Michael Yeadon a former VP and a Chief Science Officer at Pfizer, Nobel Prize Winning Dr. Luc Montagnier, Dr. Francis Christian a highly esteemed surgeon from Saskatchewan, Dr. Hodkinson of Alberta a Cambridge educated recognized expert on pathology, Dr. Geert Vanden Bossche who's held senior roles in vaccine development with GSK, Novartis, GAVI and even with the Gates Foundation. 

And there are dozens more, maybe even hundreds....all being censored and deplatformed.  

If public health officials really want to combat vaccine hesitancy, then have an open public forum and invite some of these individuals to speak.  Rather than engaging in intellectually weak ad hominem attacks, confront their opinions and the data and facts they're presenting....rather than just censoring them for being guilty of thought crime.  

Science isn't really a thing, it's more of a process of evolving evidence.  What is believed to be true today can later be found to be false.  Lots of drugs are approved after being deemed safe and effective, only later to be taken off the market when dangers are discovered, some after 2 or 3 years, sometimes 5 years, and sometimes decades.  The older set knows about Thalidomide of course, but for many that's ancient history, something that could never happen again.  

Here's 10 that are far more recent for those who want to read some more.  Many post the year 2000.  

10 dangerous drugs recalled by the FDA

Restoring Canadian Democracy - Are we winning or losing?

Are we winning or losing?

I just saw a post on Facebook from a friend in British Columbia, a simple proclomation of": "WE WON"!!! I was wondering if the Canadiens had managed a win against Tampa, or if it was a personal victory against a lockdown ticket.

From the comments I'm inferring that it's in reference to BC lifting the so called 'state of emergency' and ending things like masking mandates. Other parts of the country like where I am of course, we're still living with draconian and overreaching measures that violate both the constitution and the charter of rights and freedoms.

Any victory that restores our God given freedom should of course be welcomed, but we've been fighting battles that never should have been needed. Our Charter of Rights and Freedoms lays it out plainly in the preamble, one single sentence which says:

Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law....

The word "supremacy" means just that....supremacy, that God is Supreme. It strikes me that for the past 15 months (longer actually, but the past 15+ months in particular) we've ignored this simple fact.

Our freedom to assemble, worship, operate a lawful business, travel ....these are rights that come not from government, but from God. These rights can be limited the Charter says, in the case of a justifiable emergency....and back in March 2020 we were told that such an emergency was unfolding.

After hearing in January and February of 2020 that Covid was nothing to worry about, suddenly in March the script changed. Now we were told that 200,000 Canadians would be dying as a direct result of this virus in the first year, on top of the ususal deaths that occur. Instead of 295,000 deaths we'd be approaching half a million just in the first 12 months.

That was if we did nothing. But even with lockdown measures it was still going to be 100,000 excess deaths, directly caused by Covid in the first year. Even with shuttering, businesses, schools and vital life saving support services for the marginalized and vulnerable, even with all that we were going to be lining up eight deep to get a critical care bed in our ICUs.

Two weeks to flatten the curve?

Some of us knew that was never in the cards. Viruses spread, it's what they do, germs are ubiquitous. Closing everything down would invite the Zombie Apocolypse. Hosptials had to stay open, retirment homes and LTCs couldn't just be closed, Fire, police, sanitation, water treatment, the electrical grid and internet connectivity....all the workers in these industries would be out and about, transit and gas to get them to and from work was also needed.

A lot of dim bulbs have said we should have just shut everything down, forced everyone to stay in their homes. It's the kind of low resolution thinking usually expressed by double digit IQ types who think the supply chain is as simple as a light switch that you just flick off and then back on.....real life is obviously more complicated.

Besides, the science was wrong....incredibly wrong. SARS-CoV-2 we found out is not the major health threat it was made out to be. Overwhelmingly the only people getting seriously ill and dying were those who were already in that state to begin with.....people who would be compromised by ANY virus or bacterial infection.

That's borne out by the numbers. Roughly 16 months in and less than 4% of Canadians have even tested positive for this thing. Over a year down the road of living with a virus that is reported to be spreading like wildfire, and more than 95% of Canadians haven't even tested positive for it. And that's using a PCR tests that gives off false positives "nearly half the time" as per Ontario's Associate Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Barbara Yaffe.

There never was an emergency, but don't tell that to the Covid Karens and Karls who have been traumatized by fear. They're convinced the only reason they're still alive and breathing, that it's because we locked down....they can't let go. These mensa drop outs look at people lining up at a hot dog stand outside without masks on and they start hyperventalating.

Canada, like most of the western world was founded on what can broadly be termed the Judeo Christian ethic. On the belief that there is a God, and ulimate good. But we've been chipping away at the foundation of our society for decades. Lately it strikes me that we've taken a jack hammer to the very foundation of our society.

It's now believed by many that this earth, the universe as a whole, that it's simply a random accident. Science has put forth the theory of the big bang, of energy and matter just blub blub blub....floating around in space, and then by some accdident that life magically came into being.

It's interesting to me that people use science to contradict science. Louis Pasteur conducted experiments which have so far proven that spontaneous generation (life out of nothing) is impossible. Nobody has been able to disprove the fact that only life begats life. As for evolution, that flies in the face of the laws of thermodynamics respecting entropy....that things decay, devolution is what science says happens, not evolution.

But crazy or not, it's what many believe....our educational system has been indoctinating our youth for over 50 years with this thinking, and it's accelerating.

What does it mean if there is no God? If there is not God then logic dictates that there is no ultimate truth, no ultimate right and wrong. Human systems of law become fluid, there is nothing fixed. We're sailing in ancient times without the North Star to guide the the ship that is our society.

This is our new reality. Everyone is encouraged to find "THEIR" personal truth, because there is no unifying central truth anymore. And it makes us easy to manipulate, because rather than having that North Star to guide us we start worshipping individuals.....and human beings are anything but divine.

Today's saints are tomrrow's demons. Women who were venerated for advocating for the rights of women are now burned at the stake if they dare believe that a man can't declare himself a woman and use the women's locker room at the local fitness centre. A 5 year old boy who sees his mother and father paying more attention to a developmentally challanged sister can declare that he's a girl and society has to affirm his choice.

And now, if Dr. Theresa Tam says something, she has to be believed and followed with the same reverence that scriptural wisdom used to command. Every time she's wrong, she hides behind data and says "the science has changed, it's evolved" and society has been conditioned, like a Pavlovian dog, to salivate at her feet and listen to whatever bell she's ringing.

Have "we won"? Nope, we're losing and we're going to keep losing so long as we put our faith in flawed and corrupted government officials, and that includes health officials. The Dr Hinshaws, Yaffes, Williams, Henrys and all the rest.

It includes our judicial branch as well. Asked to provide proof of the state of emergency justifying these life destroying measures, the health officials have constantly refused, and the men and women behind the benches have bowed low and let them get away with it.

There is victory to be had in the end of course, but not by putting faith in flawed men and women, forget Trudeau and O'Toole....and Trump and his crew as well. Victory comes only through God, something society used to broadly accept and at least acknowledge, but not any more.

We haven't won, we've been granted a reprieve. Like that older sibling who delights in dunking you, forcing your head under water....then after struggling lets you up to grab a few mouthfuls of air before plunging you under again.

Ultimate victory only comes when we put ourselves into relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It's something I'm still working at, and it isn't easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is.

Why are so many masked faces spewing racist invecitves? They're scared

First some context, I live in Northumberland County which is in Eastern Ontario.  It's farming country, orchard land.  If you've been out this way you not doubt have seen The Big Apple complete with it's yellow mask as you drive along the 401.  It is also overwhelmingly white, and we have our share of racists out here.  

Maybe the mask on that Apple should be replaced with a white hood?

Like everywhere Northumberland County has a lot of frightened people, terrified of catching this Covid bug.  They're easy to identify, they're the ones walking alone outside, nobody within 100 metres and they're masked up.  That or they're driving alone in their cars with a mask on, even if it's a convertible.  

And you see them at the dog park, something of a local gathering place out here, although now it's restricted to no more than 5 people at a time.  When the conversation invariablly turns to Covid, because it always does, you can bet that some masked up face will start complaining about "those people" from places like Brampton, Mississauga, or some other part of the GTA.  

This is what fear does to people, they show off their true colours.  Those who either refuse to wear a mask, or who only put one on when absolutely required are a far more tolerant bunch.  That's because we're not irrationally afraid, not of Covid, and not of "those people" from the GTA.  

They do it politiely, they don't use blatantly offensive terms, but we all know the dog whistles they blow.  It's because "those" people don't share our values about health and safety, how "they" live differently with so many generation in one household.  

Please save it, if you're frightened of Covid stay in your basements and spew your hateful garbage at the wall.  If it wasn't for the trucking and warehousing industry where many of "these people" work there wouldn't be food on the grocery shelves, even out in the lily white parts of the province.  

Be kind, and if you can't be kind...then stay home. 

Facebook allows the spreading of false information on Covid-19 Vaccines...

Anyone with two brain cells to rub together knows that social media is an ocean of ignorance, almost any theory or belief, you can find people claiming to have definitive proof.  Dr. Tam and Michelle Obama are men, Joe Biden is an alien, John F. Kennedy didn't die and is living somewhere in Antarctica....whatever.

In point of fact I don't care most of the time. Whether the earth is round or a dome covered disc, (or a flat rectangle) has zero impact on my life.  Same with the moon landing, whether we've been there or if the whole thing was staged, the impact on me and basically everyone I know is zero.  

"What"???  "The moon landing was faked"???  "That's it, cancel the cottage this summer, we're staying home now"!!!  

The Covid-19 vaccines though, that's another matter.  There is a lot of false information being spread around, both by those who are either opposed or skeptical, as well as with those who either have had it,  or can't wait to roll up their sleeves.

Sadly, in today's world most people are completely ignorant of what science actually is.  For many people they think it's a yes or no answer, something that is either right or wrong.  "What does the science say"?  This common question is most often posed by those who haven't the foggiest idea of how to even define science.  

Science is not a yes or no, it is not a simple right or wrong determination.  Science is a process, and it is evolving constantly.  That which is accepted as true today can later be seen as false with the emergence of new evidence, and then it can go back to true with newer and better evidence.  Science is rarely ever "settled". 

Let's talk about the Covid-19 Vaccines

My facebook account has been suspended for 24 hours.  It wasn't because I shared false information, it was because I called out someone's ignorance about these shots.  Pointing out someone ignorantly sharing false information is justification for a stay in Facebook Jail according to our technocratic masters.  

Here is the false information being shared that I responded to:  

No vaccine on Earth has ever had "Long term side-effects". They do their job, then the body disposes of them.  There is no such thing as a DNA vaccine. The mRNA vaccine does not teach the immune system how to build a virus. It simply introduces a pathogen that prompts an immune response.

That false information is still up, my response was deleted and I've been banned from posting for 24 hours because of this reply:  

No words for this level of ignorance....name for me one other vaccine that has sent spike building instructions for your cells, or instructions to build any component of any virus.

Saying that all vaccines are the same is like saying all pain medication is the same, so shut up and take your Oxycontin and don't worry about it....if you think it's incredibly addictive with the very real potential for overdoses, then you're a conspiracy theorist.

Is it true that no vaccine has ever had "Long term side-effects"?  No it is not, the rushed Swine Flu vaccine of 1975 was withdrawn for precisely that reason.  There are loads of scientific papers and articles on it, but for those who like things in an easier to digest format, here is 60 Minutes reporting on what happened, and their indictment of the profit driven Pharmaceutical Industry.  

And it is also absolutely 100% true that all the Covid-19 vaccines are the first ever agents authorized that send instructions into the human body telling our cells how to construct the component of a virus, in this case the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein.  

Informed consent requires that ALL information be shared, not just that which encourages a desired behaviour.  These vaccines have already showed clinically documented risks of blood clotting, severe allergic reactions, bell's palsy, and in the case of a recent study out of Israel, the potential to potentially increase the risk of getting Covid rather than reducing it.  

None of these shots has completed its clinical trial.  Moderna's will be the first to finish with an estimated study completion date of October 27, 2022.  Pfizer's is slated to be completed in January of 2023, AstraZeneca's in February of 2023.  

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04470427

The risks of adverse events and deaths is said to be very rare, but then for younger healthy people, having a serious case of Covid is also rare.  But with all that being said, if someone decides to roll up their sleeve after being made aware of ALL the facts, that should obviously be their right.  The old: "My body, My Choice" slogan certainly applies here, and equally so for those who wish to decline.  

Airborne transmission due to farting leads Canadian health authorities to mandate triple layer underwear...

Most are now aware that China has commenced anal swabs to test for the novel SARS-Cov-2 virus due to the fact that the anal cavity has been found  to carry a larger viral lode than deep in the nasal cavity.  That has lead to the discovery that passing wind spreads aerosols containing the SAR-Cov-2 virus, and all its variant strains.

Studies indicate that people can fart as often as 25 times a day on average, which is concerning to officials at Canada's healh agency the Centre for Disease Disinformtion.  

Canadians engaging in sexual intercourse with people outside of their immediate households had already been advised to use so called "glory holes".  Now officials are going to be mandating triple layer under garments to control the spread of the novel virus due to flatulence.  

Ontario Nurses demand N95 respirators "at minimum" because masks don't work on aerosols

Kudos to the leader of Ontario's official opposition, NDP leader Andrea Horwarth, for bringing to my attention an open letter written by the Ontario Nurses Association to Premier Doug Ford.  

The letter calls on the province to mandate precautions for airborne transmission of SARS-Cov-2.  Specifically it calls for the province to procure and issue PPE that can prevent infection by airbone aerosols which can hang in the air for hours and even get into venilations systems.  

Airborne aerosols have long been established as a mode of transmission, and obviously surgical and cloth masks aren't going to keep out something as small as an aerosol. The fact that nurses and other health care workers continue to be infected "at record rates", speaks to the fact that surgical and cloth masks are useless against aerosols.

Here is the letter dated Janurary 25th, 2021:   

https://www.ona.org/news-posts/open-letter-airborne/?fbclid=IwAR00olPD9HvCuM5rrh0iULJPWmcJ9kL0rbehipf_PLkz6jIwh5jHTRO_eTQ

I've written about this many times....

Thinking that sucking air through a piece of cloth or even a surgical type mask????   That it's going to stop an aerosol!!!  That is akin to thinking a wall will stop illegal immigration.  But some people like a fantasy if it plays to their fears and biases.  

Just look at the mask a painter wears sometime, tightly sealed with filter type respirators.  Those painter masks are to keep out paint droplets, which are exponentially larger than aerosols.  

If you want to see how a proper mask is tested, here's a video a friend shared with me.

 

But hey, if you think some piece of cloth is going to keep an aerosol out, then you probably think Iraq has weapons of mass destruction hiding someplace, or that Trump is a super honest and decent guy.  

Or follow Dr. Fauci's advice.  If one loose fitting piece of dirty cloth won't keep an aerosol out, then try two.  

Merry Christmas - Don't expect the lockdown to end in 4 weeks Ontario (Video)

 Alright, I'm going to start broadcasting on my newly created youtube channel.  We shall see how this goes.  

Don't be fooled - Christmas gathering will be canceled, the decision has already been made...

I said I wasn't going to be pulling punches anymore.  Well here goes. Canadians are undergoing what amounts to a Psychological Operation right now, or colloquially a "Psy-Op".   The decision that Christmas gathering will be outlawed by unconstitutional decrees has already been made, that is opinion and it is an opinion that I hold with firm conviction.  

We are being told that it is "entirely up to us" whether Christmas get togethers will happen or not, and the reason for that is simple.  A house divided cannot stand.  There are individuals and groups in Canada who want our Charter Rights and Freedoms restored, who are opposed to being ruled by undemocratic dictate.  

When the eventual and already determined action of banning Christmas gathering comes down, the government wants Canadians to blame their friends and neighbours.  "If those people had just been good I could have seen my family".  Every war needs an enemy, someone other than the government for people to vent their anger and frustration on.  In Germany it was Trade Unionists, Communists and Jews, now it's those who want the restoration of democratic governance.  

Lockdown measures have been proven completely ineffective at controlling viral spread.  They've been brought in all over the world, in some cases with draconian measures, and yet the casedemic continues. There are no success stories in controlling the so called pandemic, because if the state of emergency ended then we'd go back to normal and the long planned GREAT RESET would halt in its tracks.  

Stay strong, don't be gas lit....this isn't ending any time soon.   

Large Danish trial could put an end to the masking debate...

A large randomized control trial could finally put an end to the whole masking debate.  Three Danish hospitals as well as the Technical University of Denmark have conducted what may very well be the largest ever clinical trial looking into the efficacy of community masking on reducing rates of viral infection.  It's certainly the largest such trial in the Covid era.

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04337541

6,000 participants were randomized into a masked and a control group, 3,000 participants in each.  All were tested and determined to be Covid free at the start of the trial.  The study was completed back on June 2nd, now we're simply waiting on the results to be published.  

Public health officials have had a dearth of information on which to base policy decisions.  Canada's own McMaster University conducted a review of over 100 years of research into masking and the most that they could conclude is that community masking might provide a small benefit, maybe.  As published in the Annals of Internal Medicine here is their conclusion.  

No direct evidence indicates that public mask wearing protects either the wearer or others. Given the severity of this pandemic and the difficulty of control, we suggest that the possible benefit of a modest reduction in transmission likely outweighs the possibility of harm

This Danish study could finally provide a large dose of definitive proof about the value of community masking mandates, after all Randomized Control Trials are considered the gold standard of science.  If the results show that the unmasked arm had a statistically significant higher rate of infection, then in my opinion we should be all in on community masking mandates and the anti-masking horde should suck it up and shut up.  

If the results show similar rates of infection in both arms, then we're basically status quo with evidence pointing to a possible small benefit.  In that case I would expect the anti-masking crowd to continue their complaining and protesting.

There is potential for controversy however if the results show that the masked arm experienced higher rates of SAR-Cov-2 infection than the unmasked arm in a statistically significant way.  Not only would this put winds in the sails of the anti-mask protesters, it could also serve further erode public confidence in public health officials.  

Science should never be controversial, it is what it is.  But sadly, with this pandemic the science has become increasingly political.  Educated people know that science is a process, it doesn't stop when a politically desired result is indicated.  

I know many people who think they're certified epidemiologists with their internet and youtube degrees.  And I don't doubt that if this study does in fact show that masking increases the risk of viral infection, that some dim bulbs will dismiss the results out of hand because it doesn't affirm their predetermined conclusions. Confirmation bias is rampant in today's world and everyone is guilty of it to one degree or another.

My bias leans toward community masking being ineffective and potentially increasing infection rates, but if this study shows a benefit to masking I will keep my ego in check and acknowledge what the highest level of science has to say.  

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If this was a movie a good title would be "WAG THE PANDEMIC"

This is one strange, strange pandemic, if it wasn't for the news media I wouldn't even know it existed.

Many have come to the view that we're living in something of a dystopian nightmare.  We're told there's this horrible deadly virus floating around, but people I talk to don't know anyone who's died of it.  In point of fact many don't even have direct knowledge of someone who's even gotten sick from Covid.  The closest thing I hear is something like: "My sister works with a guy who's wife got it".  

I know people from all over Canada, many in the GTA but also quite a few in red zoned Quebec City.  The only case I know of is a woman I haven't seen since high school, and if it weren't for Facebook I wouldn't even know about that case.  One strange strange pandemic.  

It reminds me of the movie Wag The Dog.  For younger readers that's an old movie from the 1990s that starred Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman, Woody Harrleson and a number of other notables, Willie Nelson is another name playing a character very much like....well, Willie Nelson.

The basic plot involves a Washington fixer staging a war, a non-existent war between the United States and Albania.  And while the war isn't real, in another sense it has to be real because it's on TV.  The war has everything, a hero, visuals, themes, even a stirring song.

I think that's what is missing here.  The Covid Pandemic needs a song.  Something like I LOVE MY MASK might work.  Here's the song for the phony Albanian war from the movie.  

Trudeau government drops the Covid-19 ball again, failing to warn of possible airborne transmission

With both the U.S. CDC and World Health Orginization warning that SARS-Cov-2 may be transmitted by airborne aerosols, Canada is once again a day late and a dollar short with our response.  Do note that there is no definitive proof that SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes the Covid-19 disease, is airborne, this is just another transmission vector that many health authorities around the world believe leads to the spread.  

The CBC just published a story on it:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/coronavirus-canada-airborne-spread-1.5758114

So, is this important?  Well....YEAH!!!  At least I think so, as well as numerous other countries that are updating their guidance.  

As mentioned in the CBC article linked above, if SARS-Cov-2 is airborne then cloth and simple medical masks aren't going to cut it, especially for front line health care workers in high risk environments.  

Do note of course, I'm not an epidemiolgist or an expert in any field of medical science, likely no different from Adam Miller the writer of the CBC article I linked.  Like many I'm simply trying to follow the science, not necessarily all the scientists  though because experts in medical science often disagree.  Which explains why different countries and jurisdictions have different responses.  

What I find worriesome is that if SARS-Cov-2 is indeed airborne, as many infectious disease experts now believe, then I fear our response may be doing as much harm as good, perhaps even more harm.

To my non-expert mind, airborne transmission makes perfect sense, it would certainly explain why in Ontario case numbers keep climbing higher and higher despite the fact that masking is basically mandatory now in all indoor places.  In point of fact I think mandatory masking could be contributing to the spread because it can give a false sense of security.  

And for myself personally, that's fine....I decided a while ago that my best defense against Covid-19 was a healthy immune system.  I've been drinking lots more OJ of late, taking Vitamin D supplements, trying to engage in more exercise outside.  It is entirely possible that I may have already been infected by the novel coronavirus and not known it.  There has been research suggesting a possible genetic marker called HLA that may play a role in why some people get seriously and sometimes fatally ill, while others have either incredibly mild symptoms or none at all.

But I know others who are hyper vigilant and concerned about contracting this virus.  Some are wearing masks almost all the time, certainly every time they leave the house, even when outside walking a dog with nobody around.  And that may very well be the wisest move, people with diabetes for example would likely be perfectly justified in being hyper vigilant, and that's just one of many underlying health conditions that can make Covid a very serious and potentially lethal disease.

My concern is more for those who are vulnerable who may be engaging in risky behaviour because Canada's federal health experts are slow off the mark yet again.  An elderly person with underlying health issues might just go out to a restaraunt, thinking that it's safe because everyone is wearing a mask when moving about, only removing them when sitting at their respective tables.  "Those droplets can't reach me because I'm well beyond 2 metres away from everyone".  

If the restaraunt is not well ventilated, and really how many are.....then an airborne virus could easily be floating around if there's an asymptomatic diner there at the same time or even possibly several hours earlier.  A piece of cloth or a medical mask won't stop an aerosol.

Here's a video of someone vaping with various types of masks.  The person in the video claims to be a doctor, but for me that is neither here nor there, what matters is what happens with the aerosols which are visible in this case because of the vape smoke.  

That the Trudeau government is slow again is nothing new.  Everyone knows that while countries like the United States, Australia and New Zealand started restricting travellers from places like China and Europe in early Februrary, Canada waited another month.  And those who did return back then, they were not required to quarantine because "it was believed" that the risk of human to human trasmission was so low that it didn't warrant isolating people.  

Even more recently we've had news that Canada is finally ordering about 2 million so called "Rapid Tests" because the PCR tests being used now have such a high failure rate, and the processing time for results can be long.  News that Canada is finally ordering some of these Rapid Tests came out Oct. 6th but we're not expected to have any delivered until toward the end of this year.  The NY Times reported on August 29th that the Trump administration is ordering 150 million rapid tests. I wonder how Trudeau likes taking longer and ordering far fewer on a per capita basis than the POTUS? 

I know media has drilled it into our collective subconcsious that the US response to Covid has been a failure, while our's has been oh so good.  Goverment subsidized media in this country loves to tell us how horribly the Americans have done compared with us.  But just because the media states an opinion as fact doesn't make it true.

In both the United States and Canada there are jurisdictions that have done poorly, and others that have done well.  In Canada Quebec's Covid death toll has been horrendous, even worse than Sweden's, a country that didn't have any harsh lockdown measures.  And in the United States the worst performers using fatality as the yardstick are New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts.  But in both countries much of the response is handled at either the state or provincial level, with the federal governments simply providing some direction.  

In Canada the direction coming from Ottawa has too often been wrong, and probably deadly for some.  

The best science says masks have no benefit in limiting viral infection - Why are they mandated?

I've already shared this infomation in previous blog posts, that Randomized Control Trials are the so called "gold standard" when it comes to science.  Science is a process, it's not about right or wrong.  Science usually evolves, but with Covid science is going in the other direction, it's devolving.  

The CDC did a pooled analysis of 10 RCTs and determined there was no statiscally significant benefit in infection control of a virus by having people in the community wear masks.  Since then however they've changed their guidance and are now reccomending masks, saying they might help.

Here's the link again and a cut and paste of the relevant info, all bolding is my own. 

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/5/19-0994_article

In our systematic review, we identified 10 RCTs that reported estimates of the effectiveness of face masks in reducing laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infections in the community from literature published during 1946–July 27, 2018. In pooled analysis, we found no significant reduction in influenza transmission with the use of face masks (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.51–1.20; I2 = 30%, p = 0.25)

Why has the advice changed?  Have there been Radmomized Control Trials that have proven a benefit?  No, there has not.  If I am mistaken then please someone share a publication from a reputable source, please no youtube videos of someone claiming to be a doctor, or memes about people peeing in their jeans.  I don't need any more arguments from the scientifically illiterate.  

The highest level of science has spoken, but there is evidence that masks "may" provide a benefit from a lower level of science, experiments that measure droplets and how they disperse.  The problem is that we're going backwards, if what is observed during experiments is true, then it has to be verified in a clinical trial.  That has not happened.  

I realize some will not like this.  Most people think masks work, so anything that contradicts their pre-conceived notion is fake.  But real science isn't a vote, it's about evidence.  Thinking a visual experiment is superior to a RCT is akin to someone sitting on a jury and ignoring eye witness testimony from multiple sources because it contradicts the circumstantial evidence.  

So why then?  Why are governments all over Canada and in other jurisdictions mandating masks now.  In my opinion the reason is fear, fear combined with politics.  In a democracy politicians poll and respond to people's fears.  Lower levels of science suggest masks "might help", so we've gone backwards and are ignoring the highest level of science that says they don't help.  We're keeping the Covidiots happy by going with inferior science because make believe epidemiolgists believe masks work.

Look at the evidence.  McMaster University in Hamilton, a very respected medical school, they looked at over 100 years worth of research on masking and issued a report.  Did they say that masks have a proven benefit in mitigating viral spread?  No, this is a cut and paste of their concluding sentence.  

No direct evidence indicates that public mask wearing protects either the wearer or others.Given the severity of this pandemic and the difficulty of control, we suggest that the possible benefit of a modest reduction in transmission likely outweighs the possibility of harm....

Break that down, we're told there is a possible benefit, maybe in other words, and even then it's only a small or modest benefit.  Where is the proof of this?  Is it from Randomized Control Trials, the gold standard of science?  No, it's from lower level science like experiments on droplets.  And take note that they mention the possibilty of harm.  What harm?  

There's only ever been one randomized trial of cloth masks, from 2015 and published in the peer reviewed British Medical Journal.  This study of health care workers in Viet Nam by an Australian research team found that health care workers wearing cloth masks had a 13 fold increase in respiratory infections over the four week study period.  Their conclusion was that cloth masks should not be worn.  

Yet here we are in Canada mandating that children sit in classrooms all day long sucking air through cloth.  Cloth is a great breeding ground for bacteria, and once that bacteria gets to a critical level kids are going to be inhaling it.  I've already heard of several kids at my son's school falling ill, but it's not on the CBC National news so you can ignore it.....but I can't.  

For the boomer types, don't worry.  If you're just wearing a cloth masks for short durations, I doubt there's much chance of harm to you. Boomers don't care about kids....they stopped caring about them long ago by and large.  Let the snotty nosed brats suck air through cloth for hours on end day after day.  

A drowning man will grab an anchor, fear does that.  Now we're tossing that anchor to our children for something with zero empiracally proven benefit. 

Elderly and Vulnerable to Covid? Think a mask will protect you? Science says it won't....

Please hear me out, it is my most fervent wish and prayer that everyone comes out of this pandemic with as little harm as possible.  SARS-Cov-2 can be a deadly virus, but it is not an equal oppotunity killer.  Younger and healthy people overwhelmingly recover, google Infection Fatality Rates published by Ontario Public Health and you can see that for yourself.  Those under 40 recover at better than a 99.9% rate as per the province's Enhanced Epidemiolgical Summary.

I will save you the trouble, here is the link.  This is from June, and with improving treatments the numbers are dropping even more, Covid has become less of a mortal threat as time has gone forward.

https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/ncov/epi/2020/06/covid19-epi-case-identification-age-only-template.pdf?la=en

I am not an epidemiologist and I don't have a degree in any field of medicine.  With that being said I have taken undergrad science courses at the university level, so I am not completely illiterate in matters of science.  Sadly, from the conversations I'm having, both on-line and in person, it seems to me most people are.  Many seem to view science as a label to be slapped on something, and if it's from a reputable source people believe it is absolutely and emperically true.  

Listen please.  Science is a process, it is not about right and wrong.  Science evolves, something is observed, there might be comparative studies done....but real tangible proof only comes after a Randomized Control Trial or RCT for short.  The best science is when multiple RCTs prove the same thing.  In science if something is true on Monday, then it has to be true on Tuesday, Wednesday and every other day of the week.

This brings me to masks, and the fact that there is no emprical proof that they have any utility in preventing a virus from spreading and infecting other people.  I will say that again, there is no proof masks have any utility in preventing a virus from spreading and infecting other people.  

Yes, there has been observational studies done on people breathing through masks, and what has been observed is a significant reduction in the quanity of respiratory droplets expelled.  There have also been comparative studies between countries like Canada and Taiwan that show Taiwan (a country where mask wearing is common) showing lower numbers for Covid.  

But correlation is not causation, there could be multiple factors beyond masks to explain Taiwan's better numbers, it may be that they hardly do any testing at all.  Taiwan has tested less than  one single percentage point of their population, while in Canada we've tested close to 20% of our population.  

The problem is what has been observed and indicated by comparative studyt  has been shown to be false in every Randomized Control Trial ever done.  There have been at least 10 RCTs that have tested the ability of masks to reduce viral infection, and they've failed to prove any statiscally significant benefit.  

Again, I'm not a medical doctor, I follow the lead of recognized experts.  Some conspiracy types might disagree, but I consider the CDC to be a competent authority on matters of human health.  Here is what the CDC says about their review of 10 RCTs looking at the utility of masks in preventing the spread of a viral disease.  (All bolding is mine)

In our systematic review, we identified 10 RCTs that reported estimates of the effectiveness of face masks in reducing laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infections in the community from literature published during 1946–July 27, 2018. In pooled analysis, we found no significant reduction in influenza transmission with the use of face masks (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.51–1.20; I2 = 30%, p = 0.25) (Figure 2)

And here is the link:  

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/5/19-0994_article

Please take note, I am not comparing Covid with the Flu, these are two different diseases. They do have some things in common, they also have differences.  But both are diseases caused by viruses that are believed to be transmitted by the expulsion of respiratory droplets that are emitted when people breathe, talk, cough, sneeze, sing etc.  

If a mask works to prevent droplets containing influenza viruses, then it will work to prevent the spread of SAR-Cov-2 infected droplets.  Conversely if a mask has no benefit in preventing influenza transmission, then it won't help for SARS-Cov-2 transmission.  Put another way if a cup leaks when holding water, it will still leak when holding milk.

We've gone backwards with the science of masking in relation to Covid-19.  We have regressed from Radomized Control Trials that have shown they have no utility, to observational studies and comparisons that suggest they might.  And because people are desperate for something, they latch onto inferior scientific evidence.  

I can share more.  The Ontario government tried to mandate that nurses who refused to be vaccinated for influenza in 2018, that they be required to wear masks while in their medical workplaces.  The Province lost that fight because the nurses had science on their side and proved to the court that masks provide no benefit in preventing viral spread, not for the person wearing the mask, or for others.  

I invite you to please read the news from the Nurse's Association itself.  

https://www.ona.org/news-posts/ona-wins-vaccinate-or-mask-flu-policy/

Thinking that a mask will aid in preventing viral spread is not only irresponsible when the best science says it's not ture, it is also dangerous.  Vulnerable individuals might just head into a store thinking that, because everyone is wearing a mask, that "oh good, it's safe".  Perhaps this might explain why we're seeing a big jump in cases in Ontario and an increase in the hospitalization numbers as well.  Thankfully our hospital numbers are nowhere close to where they were in April/May when we peaked up around 1,000 in hosptial including 200+ in ICUs.  

Personally if a younger healthy person gets Covid, I'm not that worried.  But I also have an 87 year old aunt that I adore, and I don't want her getting it, or thinking that the mask she is wearing is doing any good other than perhaps psychological.  

In point of fact that is one reason I'm not that bent out of shape about wearing one now, I know that people are scared and seeing me without a mask in an indoor space, it could increase fear and anxiety....I don't wish to cause anyone distress, even though their fears have no basis in scienctific fact, the fear is still real.

Peace all and please try and be safe....if you're younger and healthy, enjoy your self....but let's do all we can to keep those for whom Covid-19 can be deadly as safe as humanly possible.  

The best defense against Covid-19 is a robust immune system, if you don't have that please don't think masking is a panacea, it's not.  And again, I'm not a medical professional so please verify everything I've shared, and if you have info on an RCT that proves masks have any utility in preventing viral infection please share.  Just no observational studies or other low end science, we need to prove the gold standard wrong or follow it until something else emerges.  

With proven dangers to prolonged wearing of cloth masks, what is a parent to do?

I am well aware that for some people the science on masks is over, they've heard what they want to hear, that masks may provide some utility in mitigating viral spread, and that's that.....the book is closed.

True students of science of course know that science is a process, and that things can change as newer and/or better evidence comes out.  Changes can be sublte, evolving over time, or they can be dramatic.  New studies are done, in science the gold standard is radomized trials, with some utility in observational analysis and compartive studies.  

To date there has only ever been one randomized trial done on cloth masks, in 2015 by an Australian research team. Their radomized cluster trial, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) showed that wearing cloth masks for long periods day after day increases the risk of respitory infection thirteen times over, paper or so called procedural masks had double the risk, while N95 masks worn strictly when needed (not all day) has basically no risk.  

Here's the link to the BMJ published paper:  

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/4/e006577

No other studies have come out to contradict or modify these findings.  And for those who find reading a scientific article too labourious there's a CBC news article quoting an infection control epidemiologist and University of Toronto associate professor who breaks it down in much easier to understand language.  A link to the article is embedded in the following text for those who wish to fact check.  

Dr. Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto, says wearing a mask can be dangerous. That is if the wrong mask is worn, it's worn incorrectly or people have incorrect expectations when wearing it. 

"The worst one is wearing one for too long," he said, noting masks can collect bacteria and other viruses.

Furness said he wonders why this information isn't being shared when there is evidence about it.

He said a study in a U.K. medical journal showed health-care workers who wore cloth masks all day while working were 13 times more likely to get a respiratory illness when compared to the standard practice of only wearing a mask when necessary. 

Those who wore a paper or procedure mask were twice as likely to get some type of respiratory infection if they wore it all day. The N95 masks were only worn when required during the study and no staff were affected. 

"This shouldn't surprise us," Furness said. "A mask, you're breathing on it all day long creating all this wonderful space for bacteria to multiply, and once they get to a certain quantity you start inhaling them."

It's not that masks don't provide some potential utilty in mitigating viral spread, it's just the possible benefit comes with a cost.  I strongly suggest reading the full article.  Dr. Furness reccomends boiling masks after 2 hours of use because some bacteria is drug resistant.  

Personally I've softened my anti mask stance, for me it's not a big deal.  I wear a simple neck gaiter for quick in and outs at the gas station or convenience store, when grocery shopping I use a face shield.  I'm not having to wear a mask for hours on end, and while I feel genuinely sorry for workers who are required to wear them, that's their battle not mine.  

But I also have a son in grade two, and now it's a hill I'm willing to climb.  When school started he did wear a mask for the first week, while I read and studied more.  By this past weekend I had come to the conclusion that the risk of having a 7 year old wear a cloth mask all day did not justify the possible benefits.  

In my district in Ontario kids in grade three and under are not required to wear masks, although it is strongly reccomended.  I sent a message to my son's teacher explaining that he would not be wearing a mask going forward and explaining the reasons why.  

I'm lucky, in my area and because of my child's age I have the option, many parents do not.  In my opinion we should not be forcing kids to wear a mask at school when there is rigorous scientific evidence that says it is dangerous.  

One of my son's best friends has already gotten sick and his mother told me that there are 5 other boys ill as well.  That however is anecdotal, and even if a large number of kids do get respitory infections from wearing masks I expect it will be ignored by respected media outlets, the only health concern they're reporting on is Covid nowadays.  

Another Ontario lockdown won't work. Too many people are well informed now.

There is increasing talk of lockdowns in Ontario, if not province wide then in specific hotspot areas like Peel Region.  Well folks time for a reality check, further lockdowns won't work.   I am aware of polling that suggests there is broad based support for a return to more stringent emergency measures, somewhere close to 75% in fact.  The trouble is the 25% who are opposed.

As reflected in the polling, most Ontarians view Covid-19 as a serious problem, so serious that any and all measures need to be taken to at least slow the spread, if not eliminate it entirely.  But about 1 in 4 people don't believe that, and attempts at gaslighting notwithstanding, there is a lot of science and data to back up that view.  

I know lots of people watch CBC or other outlets and they're inundated with the story that cases of Covid are rising significantly, they're told this is a major problem and that's that, they believe they're informed.  

For a lot of more technically adept younger people that isn't enough, they know how to research and dig to get at the facts behind the reporting.  And they're not convinced that Covid-19 is a major health issue for the vast majority of the population.  

Ontario has seen case numbers climbing from below 100 per day toward the end of the summer, to 200 and 300+ per day recently.  About two thirds of these cases are among younger people, the under 40 crowd.  We're told that it isn't bars and restaurants or other public places that are causing the spread, but rather private get togethers and activities of that nature.  

So why aren't a lot of people under 40 taking Covid-19 seriously?  

I would suggest it's because they know their facts, like information put out by Ontario Public Health that pegs the Infection Fatality Rate (IFR) for those 40 and under at 0.08% or less.  The younger you are the lower it goes, for ages 0-9 it's only 0.002%.  Put another way it means that for those 40 and under there's better than a 99.9% survival rate, Covid  for this demographic is no more deadly than the seasonal flu.  

I know some will read the above paragraph and won't believe it because they haven't seen in reported in the Sun, Star, Post or Globe, and it hasn't been the lead story on CBC, Global or CTV.  The fact that it's from a reputable government source won't matter either.  Some won't believe anything that counters the narrative that Covid is an incredibly lethal pathogen that justifies even draconian measures.  

Many made up their minds back in March when the Imperial College of London was predicting 50+ million Covid deaths worldwide, even with Non Pharmaceutical Interventions or NPIs for short.  Right now the number of Covid deaths stands at less than 1 million worldwide.  That's less death than what is seen globally from traffic accidents.  Incidentally, providing benchmarks and perspective isn't distorting the truth, it is the truth.  

Another simple and verifiable fact is hospitalization numbers.  Ontario is a province of about 14.5 million people, and yet there aren't even 100 Covid patients being treated in our roughly 500 hospitals, only 20 or so of whom are in ICUs.  Again, this information is publicly available on the government's Covid-19 portal and is updated daily at 10:30 am excluding statutory holidays.  

Younger Canadians who are ignoring government mandated advice can say they're following solid medical direction in fact.  Back in early July eighteen of Canada's leading health authorities published an open letter calling on Canadians to be educated about their true level of risk, and to get back to active lives at work, school and socially.  

If you haven't seen the letter here's a snippet, the author's include Canada's first chief medical health officer Dr. David Butler-Jones:  

Canadians have developed a fear of COVID-19.  Going forward, they have to be supported in understanding their true level of risk, and learning how to deal with this disease, while getting on with their lives – back to work, back to school, and back to healthy lives and vibrant, active communities across this country. 

Of course governments can bring in measures, we have measures in place now, but getting people to follow them is another matter, especially those who are younger, healthy and well informed.  Those who aren't scared in other words.  Like political leaders who've been taking trips to their cottages when travel was restricted, or holding public meetings and going to weddings and the hair dresser.  Roughly one in four people are not scared of Covid, and they'll base their behaviour on that lack of fear.

And that is all well and good in my own personal opinion.  There is something that could change my view though, and that is if our hospitals do start to get inundated.  Back in April the province of Ontario expanded ICU space by 900 beds because of forecasts of ~1,300 critical care spaces being needed, that was a the 'best case' scenario if we did really well at keeping distance and all the rest.  Thankfully even though we had huge gatherings and open flaunting of the rules, and no mandatory masks, those dire predictions never came anywhere close to coming true, the science was wrong.  But then computer modeled simulations usually are, and the errors accumulate over time.

Keep well.  I myself won't be out partying with any large groups, those days are in the past.  A back yard get together with a few friends is about the extent of my merry making now.  

Doug Ford says his patience with teachers is "running low". He's not the only one...

Bias declared right up front.  I have a soon to be 7 year old who will be returning to school soon, a daughter entering grade eleven, and a son going into his fourth year of universtiy. I also have two siblings, one a secondary school teacher the other a high school VP, as well my oldest friend who teaches elementary.

Many (not all) teachers are unhappy with the province's plans for re-opening schools.  What a shock, in any given week I imagine news outlets could run with the story: "Teachers Unhappy" about any number of issues.  At least when it comes to the way teachers present themselves via media, it seems many, (again not all) are never happy.

This pandemic has turned everyone's life upside down, nobody has been spared.  Right from the start of emergency measures, based on what I've read, about one third of Ontario workers either saw their jobs completely disappear or had their hours significantly reduced.  Of those who continued working some, like teachers, were able to operate from home.  For many though that wasn't an option.  

Employees in Long Term Care facilities couldn't phone their jobs in, they were in the thick of it, among them PSWs who often don't earn much above minimum wage.  They had to continue working while protocols and safety measures were worked out, and it still isn't perfect, there are still outbreaks happening in nursing homes.  Same with police and firefighters, grocery store and warehouse employees, meat processing plants and many more.  

Perfect doesn't exist, and adjustments are still being made, that's life. 

Well teachers, now it is your turn.  After 5+ months away from schools it's time to get back at it.  Is it going to be perfect?  Nope, no different from all the other workplaces and industries that have been open from the start.  Are there going to be outbreaks?  Of course, again no different from other industries and jobs.

That is not to say I am completely without empathy for teachers, they're human like everyone else, and like many some are scared.  I blame the fear on the irresponsible reporting of traditional media outlets, scouring the hospitals for any younger person either dying or being put on a ventilator, even those with underlying health issues like Diabetes.   Recently they presented a 20 something diabetic as "healthy" to drive views and clicks, if it bleeds it leads.  

Public Health Ontario recently published research on Covid that included Infection Fatality Rates (IFR) based on age, and I have yet to see any reporting on it whatsover.  Broadly speaking those under the age of 60 have better than a 99% chance of surviving Covid.  IFR for those aged 0-9 years is reported as being just 0.002% and climbs to 0.6% for those aged 50 to 59.  For those who are 80+ the survival rate is still over 90%, and given that Canadian life expectancy is around 82 years that's not surprising, eventually we're all going to die of something.  

No teacher, or anyone in any profession, who is at heightened risk due to everything we now know about Covid should be working right now in a diversely peopled environment.  But that is not the majority, far from it.  Canaidans need to be educated about their true level of risk so that we can get back to vibrant and active lives, at work, school and socially.  

Duke university research shows masks can be worse than no masks....

I know for a lot of people the debate over masking is over: "Its been proven scientifically that masks help limit viral spread" they'll say.  Often it's because they read a headline somewhere that says masks can be an effective tool.  Of course science is always evolving, research goes on and on and what was true on Monday can be proven false on Tuesday.  

That's certainly been the case with the debate over masks.  We've gone from hearing that they offer no real utility, to that they are vital in the battle against viral transmission.  

Now Duke University has come along with a new study that basically says that the devil is in the details, or rather in the material of the mask and how it's worn.  While N95 masks were judged to be most effective, that is not what the public in Canada is being told to wear, our rules stipulate any type of fabric over the face is all that is needed.  

If Duke's research is on the money, then that is wrong.  

Their study certainly vindicates my own opinions based on what I see day to day, both before masks were required and after.  There are all types of masks out there, the tight fitting N-95s, looser fitting procedural masks with folded material, neck sleeve type gaiters, simple kerchiefs, I've seen people pay for gas simply pulling their shirt up over their mouths.  

And of course beyond the types of masks being worn there's the manner in which they're handled.  Pulled out of dirty pockets and then returned, constant touching of the outside material, some worn without covering the nose and even half the mouth at times.  

Duke's research was aimed at trying to determine which masks work best, and what they found is that some of the masks people wear are actually worse than wearing no mask at all.  

I should note that it is not my desire to trigger people, I know many had hoped this issue was settled, but true students of science know that is not the way things work.  Science is a process, and that process doesn't stop when it reaches a point with which one agrees.  Trump loving mask supporters  won't appreciate the fact that I'm going to share the link to CNN's reporting, I can already hear the cries of "FAKE NEWS"!!!  But whaddyer gonna do, sadly many people won't believe anything unless it confirms their preconceived bias.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/08/us/duke-university-face-mask-test-trnd/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2sHouSHFTvGkjURz_b0ip6u9sha9S8WuM3WknvDoPnt7CjSGqIpM4GUOE

To briefly summarize what is in the article, not surpisingly N95 masks were deemed the most effective, but of course the general public is not being told to wear those, but rather to use some type of cloth material instead.  

The article goes on to say that three layer surgical and cotton masks performed "well".  The least effective were neck fleeces sometimes called gaiters, like what runners use.  In point of fact the researchers found these fleece gaiters increase the number of droplets because the material breaks larger droplets into smaller particles that will hang in the air longer and are more eaisly carried away.  

We've gone from being told that masks offered no real benefit, to being told everyone must wear one in indoor public places.  Now the science is saying that only certain types of masks should be worn.  Are we going to create a mask police to check on material and number of layers now?  At this stage nothing would surprise me.

For the moment those with single layer neck fleeces, bandanas and the like, you're all still good and probably risk being attacked by some terrified Karen if you dare go shopping without a mask on, it's already happening.