Against required masks

Editor,

Open Letter to Jim Copeland, Superintendent of School District #2.

Recent orders requiring students to wear masks has been circulating and as a concerned citizen of this Valley, here are scientific studies showing the extreme adverse effects of mask wearing, especially by children.

To wear a mask or not is a highly emotional subject, so I am not giving my opinion, I am quoting scientific data to remove the emotional aspect.

These articles were taken from www.childrenshealthdefense.org. This is an organization created and ran by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“Face masks should be used only by individuals who have symptoms of respiratory infection such as coughing, sneezing, or, in some cases, fever.

Face masks should also be worn by healthcare workers, by individuals who are taking care of or are in close contact with people who have respiratory infections, or otherwise as directed by a doctor. Face masks should not be worn by healthy individuals to protect themselves from acquiring respiratory infection because there is no evidence to suggest that face masks worn by healthy individuals are effective in preventing people from becoming ill. Face masks should be reserved for those who need them because masks can be in short supply during periods of widespread respiratory infection.

Because N95 respirators require special fit testing, they are not recommended for use by the general public.” (Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA); April 21, 2020 Volume 323, Number 15 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2762694)

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.” (bin-Reza F et al. The use of mask and respirators to prevent transmission of influenza: A systematic review of the scientific evidence. Resp Viruses 2012;6(4):257-67. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5779801/)

Even more disconcerting are the following facts in regard to the harmful effect of healthy individuals wearing masks.

“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.” Article by Russell Blaylock M.D., published May 14, 2020 in Technocracy News & Trends.

Dr. Blaylock is a prominent retired neurosurgeon and author of health-related books.

“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.” (Blaylock: Face Masks Pose Serious Risks To The Healthy; https://www.technocracy.news/blaylock-face-masks-pose-serious-risks-to-the-healthy/)

Wearing a face can cause headaches and reduce oxygen levels- A recent study involving 159 healthcare workers aged 21 to 35 years of age found that 81 percent developed headaches from wearing a face mask … That is, a reduction in blood oxygenation (hypoxia) or an elevation in blood CO2 (hypercapnia). It is known that the N95 mask, if worn for hours, can reduce blood oxygenation as much as 20 percent. And proper oxygenation of the blood is essential for energy, mental clarity, focus and emotional well-being. (Ong JJY et al.

“Hypercapnia, the elevation of carbon dioxide (CO2) in blood and tissues, commonly occurs in severe acute and chronic respiratory diseases, and is associated with increased risk of mortality. Recent studies have shown that hypercapnia adversely affects innate immunity, host defense, lung edema clearance and cell proliferation. Airway epithelial dysfunction is a feature of advanced lung disease … These changes in gene expression indicate the potential for hypercapnia to impact bronchial epithelial cell function in ways that may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with severe acute or advanced chronic lung diseases.”

Mr. Copeland, as superintendent of our school district, with the well being of our children being your upmost concern and goal, why are you mandating masks? As stated by these above articles, it is HARMFUL for healthy people to wear masks.

Tammy Barkhurst

Saratoga, Wyoming