Wearing of Masks - Lorraine Clemmons

Home

From: Lorraine Clemmons <myvoice@oneclickpolitics.com> Sent: Friday, July 10, 2020 7:29:38 AM To: Plascencia, Gaby <GPlascencia@riversideca.gov> Subject: [External] Please ensure masks are a choice in our communities Re: Please ensure masks are a choice in our communities Dear Council Member Plascencia, I am writing to urge you to do your part to make sure that mask -wearing is voluntary, not mandatory in our communities. The CDC has even said that the deaths are extremely low and is not considered a pandemic. The face mask box even states that it will not protect you Many jurisdictions are basing their face mask policies on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC has flip-flopped its position on face coverings several times since March but is now recommending that everyone wear a mask in public. This recommendation is not supported by strong empirical evidence. Though there is science to support mask -wearing, there's also a preponderance of science showing that masks can cause considerable harm and are ineffective in preventing the spread of coronavirus. There is also no science supporting the use of masks by healthy individuals. So emergency orders that are being issued to help protect public health are actually hurting individuals' physical and emotional well being — and violating their basic human rights, constitutional rights and religious rights. Evidence that masks reduce the transmission of viral respiratory infections within community settings is equivocal at best. A recent meta-analysis (bit.ly/2VHaubd) that included nearly a dozen randomized, controlled trials and 10 observational studies found that there was no clear clinical or laboratory -confirmed evidence that masks prevent infection. Even the U.S. Surgeon General has noted that masks "are not effective in preventing the general public from catching the coronavirus." (bit.ly/31Dgdm5) In terms of harm, studies show that wearing a face covering reduces blood and tissue oxygenation — which can be deadly while increasing carbon dioxide levels. The use of masks can also increase the risk of infection and the spread of viral illness (particularly cloth masks), hinder detoxification that occurs through exhalation, impair the immune system, and cause a wide range of other physical and psychological issues. (bit.ly/31 Epv 1 e). Moreover, some masks have been found to contain known carcinogens, which put people at risk from inhaling toxic chemicals and having them come into contact with their skin. There is no science to support the use of masks by healthy individuals, and the World Health Organization backed this up when it said, "WHO stands by recommendations to not wear masks if you are not sick or caring for someone who is sick." Forcing healthy individuals to wear face coverings is a completely unnecessary intervention that dehumanizes their interactions with others. More important, it eliminates their right to make informed decisions about what risks and precautions they are willing to take. 1