Here's an article about Proton Pump Inhibitor drugs from ANH-USA. Most drugs will make your outcome worse if you get Covid. Just one more reason to go to health. Here are some pointers on how to do that on the blog of a medical doctor (whom I totally agree with), just scroll down to (or you can read it all): An Update on Supplement Usage During the Coronavirus Pandemic. If you want the truth, go to the INDEPENDENT experts, not the CDC, WHO, FDA, or the government or those who work for them. They all have agendas that are not in your best interest. If they actually did have your interests at heart, they would tell you how to support your immune system and stay healthy. But not only do they not tell you, but they also do their best to make sure no one else can, either.
One last word before you read the evidence about face masks below. On social media people always claim posts are from people who aren't experts and don't know science - well, although I don't have a PhD or MD degree in these things, I go to those who do. Many of the posts I read do the same as they post the references, as I do, and as I have here and in past posts. Then I see something like, "I got vaccinated and I'm fine" or "I rode my bike with a mask on and no problem." Well, I've gone out every day in 2020 (except two), and I'm fine. So I guess everyone must be fine. That doesn't even make sense. People are getting headaches, some cases of pleurisy, etc., from face masks. Everyone is different - what causes problems for one may not cause the same problems for someone else.
Some things I can't make-up. This is one of them - a public health official in LA gave the reason that the beaches were closed. She said it was because (drum roll) when a wave breaks it's like the ocean is sneezing. Really - she said it on the news.
New on June 25 about face masks and real science with Denis Rancourt, PhD. Here is the .PDF file on the science behind Masks Don't Work. Fully referenced.
FDA Advisory on hand sanitizers.
I've previously talked about masks but thought I would summarize once again with everything you need to know because I keep seeing why you should wear one but never about the dangers. If someone is so scared of this virus, perhaps they should stay at home as that is what is recommended anyway. This is long and has references and comes from Dr. Rashid Buttar. If you go to his site, you can skip all the checkboxes if you want, just sign in with your email. He does his research as does Dr. Blaylock who is also used for the following information. At the end of this blog post is a form you can carry with you if you do not want to wear a mask - probably better if it is signed by a doctor. This is a video of a conference given by Dr. Buttar, MD, with over 150 doctors attending and voting on the use of face masks: Face Mask Conference Video. Not sure how long it will stay posted.
Blaylock: Face Masks Pose Serious Risks To The Healthy
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. ⁃ TN Editor
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 an 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 the 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, that is, until recently. 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.
Now that we have established that there is no scientific evidence necessitating the wearing of a face mask for prevention, are there dangers to wearing a face mask, especially for long periods? 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 health care workers (47 males and 165 females) asking about the 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 the 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 health care 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 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 masks, they will be constantly re-breathing 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 it is the wise choice to make.
References
1. bin-Reza F et al. The use of masks and respirators to prevent transmission of influenza: A systematic review of the scientific evidence. Resp Viruses 2012;6(4):257-67.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Bader A et al. Preliminary report on surgical mask induced deoxygenation during major surgery. Neurocirugia 2008;19:12-126.
5. Shehade H et al. Cutting edge: Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 negatively regulates Th1 function. J Immunol 2015;195:1372-1376.
6. 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.
7. Sceneay J et al. Hypoxia-driven immunosuppression contributes to the pre-metastatic niche. Oncoimmunology 2013;2:1 e22355.
8. Blaylock RL. Immunoexcitatory mechanisms in glioma proliferation, invasion and occasional metastasis. Surg Neurol Inter 2013;4:15.
9. Aggarwal BB. Nuclear factor-kappaB: The enemy within. Cancer Cell 2004;6:203-208.
10. Savransky V et al. Chronic intermittent hypoxia induces atherosclerosis. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 2007;175:1290-1297.
11. 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.
12. Wu Y et al. Nervous system involvement after infection with COVID-19 and other coronaviruses. Brain Behavior, and Immunity, In press.
13. Perlman S et al. Spread of a neurotropic murine coronavirus into the CNS via the trigeminal and olfactory nerves. Virology 1989;170:556-560.
Dr. Russell Blaylock, the author of The Blaylock Wellness Report newsletter, is a nationally recognized board-certified neurosurgeon, health practitioner, author, and lecturer. He attended the Louisiana State University School of Medicine and completed his internship and neurological residency at the Medical University of South Carolina. For 26 years, he practiced neurosurgery in addition to having a nutritional practice. He recently retired from his neurosurgical duties to devote his full attention to nutritional research. Dr. Blaylock has authored four books, Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life, Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients, and his most recent work, Cellular and Molecular Biology of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
The news reports conflicting advice from medical experts.
On May 29, 2020 they reported:
“If you do not have any respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, or runny nose, you do not need to wear a mask,” Dr. April Baller, a WHO public health specialist, says in a video on the site. “Masks should only be used by health care workers, caretakers, or by people who are sick with symptoms of fever and cough.”1
And one week later on June 6, 2020:
World Health Organization Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “In areas with widespread transmission, WHO advises medical masks for all people working in clinical areas of a health facility, not only workers dealing with patients with COVID-19. . . . “Second, in areas with community transmission, we advise that people aged 60 years or over, or those with underlying conditions, should wear a medical mask in situations where physical distancing is not possible. Third, WHO has also updated its guidance on the use of masks by the general public in areas with community transmission.” Dr. Tedros also stated: “Masks are not a substitute for physical distancing.”2
We need to look at actual studies that test whether viruses are stopped by masks, and whether wearing them may be more harmful, i.e. more virus particles directed to the brain, not enough oxygen in the body to fight infection.
On April 1, 2020, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at The University of Minnesota published a commentary in their newsletter titled: “Masks-for-all for COVID-19 Not Based on Sound Data.”3
Now, this scientific reasoning is appearing around the world. From all my research, it is good to see the WHO April 29 recommendation.4
So what is the truth?
It is also good to see that TV News stations carried this message of the World Health Organization and identified the sharp contrast from the advice given by American public health officials who recommend everyone wear a mask in public.5
The WHO April 29 statement concurs with the conclusions of a 1920 study published in the American Journal of Public Health amid the Spanish flu pandemic by Dr. W.H. Kellogg detailing his investigations into whether masks protect from spreading viruses. The researchers identified that it required multiple, multiple layers to block viruses and that this amount of material prevented the person from obtaining enough oxygen through the mask.
To quote the study: “When a sufficient degree of density in the mask is used to exercise a useful filtering influence, breathing is difficult and leakage takes place around the edge of the mask.” This leakage leaves the mask not more than 50% effective in reducing infection. The article also stated: “Masks have not been demonstrated to have a degree of efficiency that would warrant their compulsory application for the checking of epidemics.”
Their summary stated:
“Masks have not been proved efficient enough to warrant compulsory application for the checking of epidemics, according to Dr. Kellogg, who has conducted a painstaking investigation with gauzes. This investigation scientific in character, omitting no one of the necessary factors. It ought to settle the much-argued question of masks for the public.”6
Recently published articles state similar findings: “In conclusion, both surgical and cotton masks seem to be ineffective in preventing the dissemination of SARS–CoV-2 from the coughs of patients with COVID-19 to the environment and external mask surface.”7
A survey of healthcare workers wearing restrictive masks and protective eyewear while working with patients found that 81% of them reported new headaches.8
With airflow blocked enough for restriction of virus movement, it makes sense that headaches happen as there is not enough oxygen getting into the body, and headaches happen in a low oxygen environment such as the headaches people get when they are at high altitudes.
We have found in working with people with EMF symptoms from cell phone use that headaches are a primary complaint. This is due to the red blood cells sticking together, which prevents their ability to supply the necessary oxygen we humans need to function. It makes sense that the restrictive airflow through highly efficient masks would result in reduced oxygen levels that would result in the development of headaches.
Mask pore sizes are larger than the size of viruses.
Pore sizes of masks are many times larger than the size of viruses. Viruses are so tiny, they can easily slip through most any type of mask that is not NK95 rated. The CDC does not recommend that the public wear the smaller pore surgical grade masks, as they are in short supply and need to be reserved for health care workers and first responders.9
The coronavirus is about 0.120 μm (micrometer) in diameter.10
The pore size of masks ranges from 80 to 500 μm, which means that viruses of 0.120 μm can slip through the pores of masks exceptionally easily.
Cloth Masks
Researchers looking at whether masks can block viruses found: “This study showed that the filtering efficiency of cloth face masks were relatively lower, and washing and drying practices deteriorated the efficiency.” . . . “The poor efficiency was due to the presence of larger sized pores. Our study also demonstrated that washing and drying cycle deteriorates the filtering efficiency due to change in pore shape and clearance. We also found that stretching of the CM [cloth masks] surface alters the pore size and potentially decreases the filtering efficiency. The findings of this study suggest that CM are not effective, and that effectiveness deteriorates if used after washing and drying cycles and if used under stretched condition.”11
Other researchers found similar results for cloth masks.
A study in the British Medical Journal found: “Penetration of cloth masks by particles was almost 97% and medical masks 44%.” The study concluded: “This study is the first RCT [Randomized Controlled Trial] of cloth masks, and the results caution against the use of cloth masks. This is an important finding to inform occupational health and safety. Moisture retention, reuse of cloth masks and poor filtration may result in increased risk of infection. Further research is needed to inform the widespread use of cloth masks globally. However, as a precautionary measure, cloth masks should not be recommended for HCWs [Health Care Workers], particularly in high-risk situations, and guidelines need to be updated.”12
I am excited to send this edition of NewsFlash, because I have had this critical subject in mind as I kept reading the many articles identifying the new health problems that arise with the wearing of masks by the general public. It is time for our health agencies and officials to stop requiring we wear face masks in public or at work, and change their recommendations to ones that are not inclined to create more health problems than those they are attempting to protect us from. Please share this information with everyone you meet, it is critical for the health of our society.
References
Who Website. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: When and how to use masks. Retrieved May 29, 2020 from: www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when-and-how-to-use-masks
Fox News Website. Report on face masks’ effectiveness for COVID-19 divides scientists. Retrieved June 3, 2020 from: www.foxnews.com/science/effectiveness-of-face-masks-divides-scientists-in-new-report
Brosseau L, Sietsema M. COMMENTARY: Masks-for-all for COVID-19 not based on sound data. Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. April 1, 2020.
Who Website. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: When and how to use masks. Retrieved May 29, 2020 from: www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when-and-how-to-use-masks
Fox News Website. Report on face masks’ effectiveness for COVID-19 divides scientists. Retrieved June 3, 2020 from: www.foxnews.com/science/effectiveness-of-face-masks-divides-scientists-in-new-report
Kellogg WH, MacMillan G. An experimental study of the efficacy of gauze face masks. Am J Public Health (NY). 1920 Jan; 10(1): 34–42. doi: 10.2105/ajph.10.1.34.
Bae S, Kim MC, Kim JY, et al. Effectiveness of Surgical and Cotton Masks in Blocking SARS-CoV-2: A Controlled Comparison in 4 Patients. Ann Intern Med. 2020 Apr 6:M20-1342. doi: 10.7326/M20-1342.
Ong J, Bharatendu C, Goh Y. Headaches Associated with Personal Protective Equipment – A Cross-Sectional Study Among Frontline Healthcare Workers During COVID-19. Headache. 2020 May;60(5):864-877. doi: 10.1111/head.13811.
CDC Website. Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings, Especially in Areas of Significant Community-Based Transmission. Retrieved May 31, 2020 from: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html
Viralzone Website. Coronaviridae. Retrieved May, 31, 2020 from: https://viralzone.expasy.org/30?outline=all_by_species
Neupane BB, Mainali S, Sharma A, Giri B. Optical microscopic study of surface morphology and filtering efficiency of face masks. PeerJ. 2019; 7: e7142. Published online 2019 Jun 26. doi: 10.7717/peerj.7142.
MacIntyre CR, Seale H, Dung TC, et al. A Cluster Randomized Trial of Cloth Masks Compared with Medical Masks in Healthcare Workers. BMJ Open. 2015 Apr 22;5(4):e006577.doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-006577.
Now, about social distancing. Where did they get the 6 feet from? Do the viral particles suddenly self destruct at 6 feet from you? Is there an invisible wall around you at 6 feet? No studies have been done supporting that distance. In fact, "recent research in the New England Journal of Medicine found that when the virus was suspended in a mist under laboratory conditions, it remained “viable and infectious” for three hours — though researchers have said that time period would probably be no more than half an hour in real-world conditions." If this is indeed the case, then 6 feet won't do anything. Aerosol particles are like dust, they float around, so anyone walking near where you had been in the next half hour would be exposed. And if you are outside and there is a breeze, think how far those particles could go in half an hour. But wait, there's more! Social Distancing Study This one shows how social distancing may actually increase cases of Covid. And these 13 studies show that all-cause mortality is increased due to social distancing. These are all things that must be considered...but haven't been.
Now for the NOTE to carry with you if you choose not to wear a face mask:
To Whom This May Concern,
_____________ is medically exempt from any regulation mandating face mask usage or any other airway restriction for any reason. Wearing a mask will pose a far greater health risk to this individual including but not limited to a compromised airway, increased risk of hypoxia, pseudohypoxia, hypercapnia and significantly increase the risk for histotoxic hypoxic injury. In addition, the results of wearing a mask will increase the cortisol levels inducing a sympathetomimetic drive, decreasing the lymphocyte subpopulation, increasing suppression of the immune system resulting in physical and medical harm that could be easily be preventable.
Under the Americans Disability Act (ADA) and HIPPA, a patient is not required to disclose his or her medical condition. It should be noted that any individual, organization, business, or agency could be fined up to $75,000 for the first ADA violation and up to $150,000 for any subsequent violations.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12131-12134, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794 provides for enforcement activities against an entity alleged to have violated federal law, required to be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552. For more information, feel free to contact the Department of Justice ADA Violation Information Line at 800-514-0300.
Thank you,
Your Doctor’s Signature
