CDC hides fact that SARS-CoV-2 Is Airborne and Masks are Ineffective
Fri 3:37 pm +01:00, 9 Oct 2020The Center for Disease Control Deleted Its Earlier Aerosol Transmission Notification. Why?
Interestingly, Friday September 18, 2020, the CDC posted updated COVID-19 guidance on its “How COVID-19 Spreads” page that, for the first time, mentioned aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2, saying “this is thought to be the main way the virus spreads.”31
It also noted that aerosolized viruses can travel farther than 6 feet — which is logical seeing how aerosolized viruses can remain suspended in the air for hours — and that “indoor environments without good ventilation increase this risk.”32 However, the CDC then deleted the mention of aerosols and the possibility of spread beyond 6 feet the following Monday, September 21, saying a draft version of proposed changes had been posted “in error.”33,34,35,36
As reported by Forbes:37
“Before Friday’s update, the CDC said large respiratory droplets (like from coughing or sneezing) at close range transmitted the virus, but now the now-deleted guidance added that ‘small particles, such as those in aerosols’ could infect people.
‘There is growing evidence that droplets and airborne particles can remain suspended in the air and be breathed in by others, and travel distances beyond 6 feet,’ the now-removed guidance stated … Scientists say the new CDC guidance is important because cloth masks aren’t designed to protect the wearer from aerosols.”
The last sentence is a key one. Understanding that SARS-CoV-2 is aerosolized and can remain suspended in air “is important because cloth masks aren’t designed to protect the wearer from aerosols.” Masks also, of course, cannot protect others from aerosolized viruses exhaled by someone wearing a mask (or face shield).
SARS-CoV-2 Is Airborne, Which Makes Masks Ineffective
According to NBC News,38 that SARS-CoV-2 is airborne is “already well-known, according to infectious disease experts,” so it’s unclear why the CDC would not want that information on its website. In fact, it’s been remarkably slow in acknowledging it.
One has to wonder whether its delayed acknowledgment and rapid removal of this information has something to do with the fact that, if SARS-CoV-2 spreads primarily via aerosols, then requiring people to wear masks is illogical, seeing how they cannot filter out airborne viruses. All a mask can do is limit the spread of contaminated respiratory droplets. This has been the argument against mask wearing all along.
Dr. Jill Weatherhead, assistant professor of infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, told NBC News that the admission that SARS-CoV-2 is aerosolized was “not surprising or jarring.”39 The World Health Organization updated its COVID-19 guidance back in July to include aerosolized (i.e., airborne) transmission, at the urging of more than 200 scientists.40
Joseph Allen, an associate professor in the department of environmental health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, also told NBC News that “The scientific community has been raising the alarm about this since February, that airborne spread can happen.”41 Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the school of public health at Brown University, commented on the CDC’s deletion:42
“This is so destructive to this incredibly wonderful agency that we have loved and admired our entire careers. This is amateur hour.”
Why Are They so Persistent With Mask Recommendations?
Considering the strong scientific evidence against it, why are governments so persistent in their recommendation of mask wearing? Clearly, for many, wearing a bandana or cloth mask provides a form of psychological defense, a way to feel less fearful because it feels like you’re doing something to protect yourself and others. But it’s a false sense of security.
Masks will not prevent you from exhaling or inhaling the aerosolized virus. Cloth masks are clearly also the least preferable option if you want to reduce the spread of infection, as their ability to block larger respiratory droplets is also limited.
In particular, N95 masks with airflow valves on the front should be avoided, as the valve lets out unfiltered air, thus negating the small benefit — the reduction in respiratory droplet emissions — you might get from a mask.43
But with COVID-19 fatality rates44,45,46 as low as they are, why would governments be pushing for a false sense of security? According to a September 2, 2020, study47 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the overall noninstitutionalized COVID-19 fatality ratio is 0.26%. For those younger than 40, the infection fatality ratio is 0.01%, while those aged 60 or older have a fatality ratio of 1.71%.
The estimated infection fatality rate for seasonal influenza listed in this paper is 0.8%. So, the only people for whom SARS-CoV-2 infection is more dangerous than influenza is those over the age of 60.
Mandatory mask wearing, social distancing, lockdowns and business shut-downs are clearly completely unnecessary at this point, unless your goal is to increase fear, tyranny and transfer of wealth to the upper 0.001% who can benefit from collapsing the economy. The virus is in the air all around us, so you cannot avoid exposure even with a mask or face shield.
Remember back in March 2020 when they said we just need to slow down the rate of infection to avoid overcrowding hospitals? How did we go from that to now having to wear masks everywhere until every trace of the virus has been eliminated, even though a vast majority remain asymptomatic and don’t even know they have the virus unless they get tested?
Overall, it seems mask requirements are being used as a psychological manipulation tool to encourage compliance with vaccination once a vaccine becomes available. It can also be viewed as a badge of submission to tyranny. I predict it is likely that, at some point in the future, a tradeoff will be offered: Mask mandates will be dropped provided everyone gets vaccinated.
By then, many may be willing to take just about anything as long as they don’t have to wear a mask anymore — although some, like Offit, warn that masks may remain a requirement for years to come, even with a vaccine.
I would encourage you to read up on the many open questions relating to fast-tracked COVID-19 vaccines before making your decision. Overall, it seems the best way to avoid having to make such a devious trade is to engage in civil disobedience now, and go unmasked.
If civil disobedience feels disconcerting, keep in mind that in many areas, mask rules include the following exception: “You must wear a mask unless you can maintain a 6-foot distance.” In other words, if you’re without a mask and maintain 6-foot social distancing, you’re still in compliance with the rules as written.
