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Mouth masks? Who knows can say it!
Translated from Dutch. View the original post
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Dr. Jim Meehan, surgeon 22-7-2020. “An answer to the people who use the classic deceptive argument: “Well, if masks don't work, why do surgeons wear them?”
I'm a surgeon who has performed over 10,000 surgical interventions with a surgical mask on. But that fact alone doesn't really qualify me as an expert in this field. More importantly, I'm a former editor of a medical journal. I know how to read the medical literature, how to distinguish good science from bad and fact from fiction. Believe me, the medical literature is full of bad fiction, disguised as medical science. It's very easy to be deceived by bad science.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, I have read hundreds of studies on the science of medical masks. Based on a comprehensive assessment and analysis, there is no doubt for me that healthy people should not wear surgical or fabric masks, nor should we recommend that the whole population wear mouth masks. That recommendation is not supported by scientific evidence of the highest level.
Let this be clear first: the premise that surgeons wearing masks serves as proof that 'masks must work to prevent viral transmission' is a logical misconception that I would classify as an argument of false equivalence or comparing 'apples with pears. '
Although surgeons wear masks to prevent their respiratory drops from infecting the surgical field and exposed internal tissues of our surgical patients, the analogy ends there. It is clear that surgeons can not hold “social distancing” from their surgical patients (unless we use robotic surgical devices, in which I certainly would not wear a mask).
The Covid-19 pandemic is about viral transmission. Surgical masks and fabric masks do nothing to prevent viral transmission. Meanwhile, we must all realize that face masks have never been shown to prevent or protect against viral transmission. That's exactly why they have never been recommended for use during the outbreak of seasonal flu, epidemics or previous pandemics.
The fact that the scientific literature does not support the wearing of medical masks for influenza and all other viruses is also why Fauci, the American Surgeon General, the CDC, WHO and virtually every infectious disease expert in the world have stated that wearing masks will not prevent the transmission of SARS COV-2. Although the “authorities” of public health turned, turned and later changed their recommendations, science did not change, nor did new science appear that supported the wearing of masks in public. In fact, the latest systemic analysis again confirms that masks are ineffective in preventing the transmission of viruses such as Covid-19:
https://Link wwwnc.cdc.gov Link/Link eID Link/Link article Link /26/5/ Link 19-0994_article
If a surgeon is sick, especially with a viral infection, he will not perform surgery because he knows that the virus will NOT be stopped by his surgical mask.
Another area of “false equivalence” is related to the environment in which the masks are worn. The environments in which surgeons wear masks minimize the adverse effects of surgical masks on their wearers.
Unlike the public wearing masks in the community, the surgeon works in sterile surgical rooms equipped with heavy air exchange systems that maintain positive pressure, refresh and filter the air in the room at a very high level, and the oxygen content of the room air. These conditions limit the negative effects of masks on the surgeon and operating room staff. And despite these extreme climate control conditions, clinical studies still show the negative effects (reduction of arterial oxygen and re-inhalation of CO2) of surgical masks on the physiology and performance of the surgeon.
Surgeons and operating room staff are well trained, experienced and accurate in maintaining sterility. We wear only fresh sterile masks. We put on the mask in a sterile way. We only wear the mask for a short time and replace it at the first signs of excessive fluid accumulation that we know reduces the effectiveness of the mask and increases its negative effects. Surgeons will NEVER reuse surgical masks and never wear fabric masks.
The public is imposed to wear masks, the training of which they did not receive in the appropriate techniques. As a result, they treat them incorrectly, often touch them and constantly reuse the masks in a way that increases contamination and increases the likelihood of transmission of diseases rather than vice versa.
Just go look at people in the grocery store or Walmart and tell me what you think about the effectiveness of masks in the community.
If you believe only the weak retrospective observational studies and confused “health authorities” that lie to you about the benefits of medical masks and completely ignore its risks, in any case you should reject the illogical anti-scientific recommendation to only 2 of the 3 entrance gates for viral diseases. Masks cover only the mouth and nose. They don't protect the eyes.”
Jim Meehan, MD
22-7-2020
Thanks to Art Broere and Henk-Jan Verboom for sharing this information
https://Link www.meehanmd.com
I'm a surgeon who has performed over 10,000 surgical interventions with a surgical mask on. But that fact alone doesn't really qualify me as an expert in this field. More importantly, I'm a former editor of a medical journal. I know how to read the medical literature, how to distinguish good science from bad and fact from fiction. Believe me, the medical literature is full of bad fiction, disguised as medical science. It's very easy to be deceived by bad science.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, I have read hundreds of studies on the science of medical masks. Based on a comprehensive assessment and analysis, there is no doubt for me that healthy people should not wear surgical or fabric masks, nor should we recommend that the whole population wear mouth masks. That recommendation is not supported by scientific evidence of the highest level.
Let this be clear first: the premise that surgeons wearing masks serves as proof that 'masks must work to prevent viral transmission' is a logical misconception that I would classify as an argument of false equivalence or comparing 'apples with pears. '
Although surgeons wear masks to prevent their respiratory drops from infecting the surgical field and exposed internal tissues of our surgical patients, the analogy ends there. It is clear that surgeons can not hold “social distancing” from their surgical patients (unless we use robotic surgical devices, in which I certainly would not wear a mask).
The Covid-19 pandemic is about viral transmission. Surgical masks and fabric masks do nothing to prevent viral transmission. Meanwhile, we must all realize that face masks have never been shown to prevent or protect against viral transmission. That's exactly why they have never been recommended for use during the outbreak of seasonal flu, epidemics or previous pandemics.
The fact that the scientific literature does not support the wearing of medical masks for influenza and all other viruses is also why Fauci, the American Surgeon General, the CDC, WHO and virtually every infectious disease expert in the world have stated that wearing masks will not prevent the transmission of SARS COV-2. Although the “authorities” of public health turned, turned and later changed their recommendations, science did not change, nor did new science appear that supported the wearing of masks in public. In fact, the latest systemic analysis again confirms that masks are ineffective in preventing the transmission of viruses such as Covid-19:
https://Link wwwnc.cdc.gov Link/Link eID Link/Link article Link /26/5/ Link 19-0994_article
If a surgeon is sick, especially with a viral infection, he will not perform surgery because he knows that the virus will NOT be stopped by his surgical mask.
Another area of “false equivalence” is related to the environment in which the masks are worn. The environments in which surgeons wear masks minimize the adverse effects of surgical masks on their wearers.
Unlike the public wearing masks in the community, the surgeon works in sterile surgical rooms equipped with heavy air exchange systems that maintain positive pressure, refresh and filter the air in the room at a very high level, and the oxygen content of the room air. These conditions limit the negative effects of masks on the surgeon and operating room staff. And despite these extreme climate control conditions, clinical studies still show the negative effects (reduction of arterial oxygen and re-inhalation of CO2) of surgical masks on the physiology and performance of the surgeon.
Surgeons and operating room staff are well trained, experienced and accurate in maintaining sterility. We wear only fresh sterile masks. We put on the mask in a sterile way. We only wear the mask for a short time and replace it at the first signs of excessive fluid accumulation that we know reduces the effectiveness of the mask and increases its negative effects. Surgeons will NEVER reuse surgical masks and never wear fabric masks.
The public is imposed to wear masks, the training of which they did not receive in the appropriate techniques. As a result, they treat them incorrectly, often touch them and constantly reuse the masks in a way that increases contamination and increases the likelihood of transmission of diseases rather than vice versa.
Just go look at people in the grocery store or Walmart and tell me what you think about the effectiveness of masks in the community.
If you believe only the weak retrospective observational studies and confused “health authorities” that lie to you about the benefits of medical masks and completely ignore its risks, in any case you should reject the illogical anti-scientific recommendation to only 2 of the 3 entrance gates for viral diseases. Masks cover only the mouth and nose. They don't protect the eyes.”
Jim Meehan, MD
22-7-2020
Thanks to Art Broere and Henk-Jan Verboom for sharing this information
https://Link www.meehanmd.com
Does it not profit, then does it not harm, or is it not Benefit and does it harm?
Do not benefit it, do not harm it (=something can help, but if it does not help it will not cause any problems)
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