By Larry Quick
Tenth in a series
The previous article is at thevoice.us/british-telegraph-newspaper-children-not-spreading-covid-19
This week we will consider the effectiveness of face coverings in stopping the spread of COVID-19. Before addressing all-population mask mandates in non-clinical settings, it should be noted that in clinical settings, face mask mandates are often medically-justified. Clinical settings include hospitals, medical clinics, doctors’ offices, and nursing homes. Here is a personal example.
In February I came down with a bad case of flu symptoms and presented myself at a convenient care clinic for a medical examination and treatment. Upon arrival I was required to don a face mask respirator because I was presenting active flu symptoms including sneezing and coughing. Clearly the clinic’s administration wanted to protect its staff members from the aerosol spray my coughing and sneezing would produce.
Since May Illinois residents have found themselves confronted with a Statewide mask mandate issued by governor JB Pritzker. To go inside a public place, all persons without a medical exemption, are required to put on a face covering. Is this mask mandate based upon high-quality and bias-free scientific research and experimentation? Does the extended wearing of face masks create the potential for physical, psychological, and social harm? Have these potential risks been identified and communicated by State health officials to Illinois residents? In this article and the companion article that will follow we will address these questions.
Knowledge provided by ethical and skilled scientists is vital to the well being of our community. It begs the following questions. What do we mean by science? What exactly is the scientific method?
Science or the scientific method may be defined as the objective and systematic acquisition of knowledge through the use of observation, hypothesis formulation, and experimentation. When done properly, scientific research and experimentation provide valuable information, knowledge and conclusions free from bias or political agendas. When done properly, scientific experimentation can be replicated by other scientific researchers and its experimental conclusions verified.
Dr. Dennis Rancourt, an expert in scientific investigation, writes:
“In medical research, the only scientifically valid way to test a medical intervention, such as wearing a face mask or prescribing any preventive treatment, is to use the universally-accepted comparative study (e.g., face mask versus no face mask) specifically designed to remove selection and observational bias from the study. This is called a ‘randomized controlled trial’ (RCT)” researchgate.net.
Government policy-makers have an ethical responsibility to use policy-grade scientific research when establishing public health rules and regulations. What distinguishes policy-grade scientific research from selective observation or personal opinion? Policy-grade scientific research is systematic, objective, utilizes random control trials, allows for replication and verification of its conclusions by other scientific researchers, is free from bias, and is peer reviewed.
Dr. Rancourt and other scientists and investigators have conducted a thorough review of existing policy-grade research studies which address this question “Do face coverings prevent the transmission of respiratory viruses?” Respiratory viruses include influenza A, influenza B and the SARS-Cov-2 virus which may lead to COVID-19 illness.
After a comprehensive search of the medical and scientific literature Dr. Rancourt writes:
“No RCT study with verified outcome shows a benefit for HCW (health care workers) or community members in households to wearing a mask or respirator. There is no such study. There are no exceptions. Likewise, no study exists that shows a benefit from a broad policy to wear masks in public.”
The next part is at thevoice.us/learning-how-to-wear-masks-essential-for-the-public.