Masks: Are They Helpful? Or Are They a Problem?
The main part of this newsletter is an article written by an eminent neurosurgeon by the name of Russell Blaylock. He did surgery for many years, and then a few years ago he decided to begin his second career as a writer. I’ve subscribed to his excellent newsletter from the beginning. He recognizes that where surgery is necessary at times, real health and healing are determined far more by lifestyle and appropriate supplements including vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin A and others.
But before we get to the article by Dr Blaylock, I wanted to share a few thoughts and memes. Now again, I don’t necessarily agree with all that is said in some of these, but most of us don’t seem to ever get a view from the other side.
One of the interesting things is how dramatically Covid-19 has fallen off the front pages of the media. Now the focus is on George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, and related issues.
Or as another memer put it…
We are increasingly learning that this virus has peculiar and confusing habits: it doesn’t seem to spread where there are crowds gathered for rioting, looting, and burning buildings. However, it does appear to be deadly for groups gathering together for church! A bit strange, eh?
The mask that we see worn everywhere is often believed to be an important way to prevent getting Covid-19. As Dr Blaylock shows, there is no science to back up that assumption with rare exceptions. If you look at one of the routine boxes holding the masks, note what these boxes actually say about the value of their use. Here is a picture of a box and that type of mask on the face:
That’s pretty amazing, I think. Right on the box it says that it will do nothing to provide protection again Covid-19! Whether it is an ear loop model or a tie-behind-your-head model, there’s not going to be much difference in benefit.
One of the perplexing things that I see in grocery stores was exemplified by a recent visit to Safeway. I was walking into the store without a mask, and a gentleman moving toward the door to exit pushing his load saw me. He was wearing a mask. But in seeing me, he backed up somewhat and seemed to even lean away from me. I tried to smile at him (something you can do if you aren’t wearing a mask) but he diverted his gaze. I looked into his grocery cart and there were boxes (several) of sugared beverages.
In light of the above picture, is it more important to wear a mask or to avoid sugar? According to the mask makers, they are not helpful for preventing any viral illness. We know that sugar suppresses the immune system. Seems to me that we’d be a whole lot better off skipping the mask and doing a sugar fast.
So it appears to be common for people to wear their masks and continue to drink and eat a lot of sugar. Both activities are immune suppressing (see Dr Blaylock below).
And then I see people driving by themselves in their cars wearing a mask!! Folks, that can kill you, or at least injure you. Please don’t do it. Here’s an example from ABC News:
These masks can lower our oxygen levels and increase our carbon dioxide levels. They can make us feel lousy. They can cause headaches…
The conclusion if it’s a bit blurry says: “Healthcare providers may develop headaches following the use of the N95 face-mask. Shorter duration of face-mask wear may reduce the frequency and severity of the headaches.”
The face mask might look cool (?), might make one feel safer, and might be helpful if a very sick person were to cough directly into your face. But…
They don’t prevent Covid-19
They don’t prevent other viral infections
They can make you more likely to get sick (see Blaylock below)
They can get you into accidents as the story above shows
In my mind there are exceptions even though we might not have real proof. If I had severe immune issues, I would likely avoid people as much as possible. I would not wear a mask except when I might actually be around a lot of people - and only for a relatively brief time. And I would likely ask others to please wear a mask due to my concern. Seems to me - fair enough.
We in the clinic try to be very aware of these types of concerns and certainly are extra careful when patients are present who might have these immune challenges.
But there is some good news here. A very articulate spokeswoman for the World Health Organization provided some great news at the beginning of last week. (Her picture coming up) What she said was that asymptomatic people will virtually never make someone else sick with Covid even if they might be a carrier. If you are not having any symptoms of Covid, even if there is a positive test, it is highly highly highly unlikely that you would pass on bugs to make others sick!
Thus we find that masks probably don’t really do any good. On the other hand, we don’t have to generally worry about being around people who might be carrying the virus if they are not actually sick. So one piece of “bad” news is offset with some legitimately good news!
This mask issue has led to some creative juices flowing, and I’m going to share a few of the memes that I’ve seen floating around. Again, I may not agree with all of the feelings exhibited here, but we hear so much of the “more masks” doctrine that I think it’s valuable to get a different perspective:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has had a lot to say about this Covid-19 thing. If you’d like more of the info he provides (excellent work by his team), you could follow him on Instagram or go to his website, childrenshealthdefense.org This is one of his related statements:
Just a few more:
Here the State of Washington is encouraging us to teach and model worthless behavior and, more likely, damaging behavior. Wear the mask in the home washing dishes??? As a neurosurgeon and scientist Dr Blaylock points out,this is, putting it mildly, a ridiculous way to function in your own home.
Fear is a major killer:
But we don’t have to be afraid. If we understand what is happening and what to do, this virus is truly not a big deal. Note the following chart from a recent research paper:
So translated, what does it say?
A. If the vitamin D level is less than 20, in this study 85% of the people had other serious diseases AND 100% of those getting sick with Covid-19 died!
B. However, if the vitamin D level was between 20-30 (still low, but averaging 26.6), then 88% of the people who got Covid-19 died. A very high percentage, but not 100%.
C. If the vitamin D level was over 30, only 3% died!!!!
According to another study I saw, if the vitamin D level was over about 35, there were no deaths!!!
And, a really big deal, the folk with a vitamin D level over 80 basically didn’t even get sick.
Where would you like your vitamin D level to be?
What is your vitamin D level?
“Health Experts” don’t always know what to do. They are often just politicians who carry a certain role. Do you always want to trust them? I don’t think so.
However, here is an expert that I recently listened to and very much respect her thoughts on the current Covid-19 “crisis.” I mentioned her briefly earlier.
A bit over a week ago, she strongly and surprisingly made the point that if you are not sick, even if you are a carrier of the Covid virus, it’s almost impossible for you to make other people sick. Asymptomatic carriers don’t make other people sick, or only extremely rarely, she said.
Interestingly, the next day she was back in the news saying that there were “models” that suggested that asymptomatic people could make others sick, but there were no studies that showed this to be true. In fact the studies showed the opposite.
I’d say that’s pretty good news on the mask wearing front.
Again, my exceptions on wearing masks: If someone’s health is very fragile, I’d certainly consider wearing a mask, or if someone were to ask me to, I’d be more than happy to do so - even if it only helps them feel psychologically better. That’s likely worth it!
And, finally, somebody I have always had great respect for - Ron Paul. He is a physician. He became a politician who consistently stood for personal rights and responsibility. He’s a good guy, in my opinion. I take his perspectives seriously - though I haven’t always agreed (but then, with whom have I always agreed? Probably nobody!).
His thoughts will close this section:
The following article is very good but it might require a bit more focus and thinking than the pictures and memes above. He makes points which I consider to be important. It’s definitely worth a read, but I can tell you what a summary of the article is: You don’t need to wear masks for your health or other people’s health unless you are frankly sick.
Enjoy the read and the data. And if you need documentation, there’s a whole lot of it at the end of the article. In other words, his conclusions are based on science.
And we really don’t have to be worried if we do the right things:
Vitamin D
Vitamin C
Vitamin A
Zinc
Curcumin, quercetin, or other natural anti-inflammatories
Avoid sugar
Moderate exercise
Hydrate
Get good sleep
Here’s Dr Blaylock:
Blaylock: Face Masks Pose Serious Risks To The Healthy
MAY 11, 2020
With the advent of the so-called COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a number of medical practices that have little or no scientific support as regards reducing the spread of this infection. One of these measures is the wearing of facial masks, either a surgical-type mask, bandana or N95 respirator mask. When this pandemic began and we knew little about the virus itself or its epidemiologic behavior, it was assumed that it would behave, in terms of spread among communities, like other respiratory viruses. Little has presented itself after intense study of this virus and its behavior to change this perception.
This is somewhat of an unusual virus in that for the vast majority of people infected by the virus, one experiences either no illness (asymptomatic) or very little sickness. Only a very small number of people are at risk of a potentially serious outcome from the infection—mainly those with underlying serious medical conditions in conjunction with advanced age and frailty, those with immune compromising conditions and nursing home patients near the end of their lives. There is growing evidence that the treatment protocol issued to treating doctors by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mainly intubation and use of a ventilator (respirator), may have contributed significantly to the high death rate in these select individuals.
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.
As for the scientific support for the use of face mask, 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.”[1] Keep in mind, no studies have been done to demonstrate that either a cloth mask or the N95 mask has any effect on transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Any recommendations, therefore, have to be based on studies of influenza virus transmission. And, as you have seen, there is no conclusive evidence of their efficiency in controlling flu virus transmission.
It is also instructive to know that until recently, the CDC did not recommend wearing a face mask or covering of any kind, unless a person was known to be infected, that is, until recently. Non-infected people need not wear a mask. When a person has TB we have them wear a mask, not the entire community of non-infected. The recommendations by the CDC and the WHO are not based on any studies of this virus and have never been used to contain any other virus pandemic or epidemic in history.
Now that we have established that there is no scientific evidence necessitating the wearing of a face mask for prevention, are there dangers to wearing a face mask, especially for long periods? Several studies have indeed found significant problems with wearing such a mask. This can vary from headaches, to increased airway resistance, carbon dioxide accumulation, to hypoxia, all the way to serious life-threatening complications.
There is a difference between the N95 respirator mask and the surgical mask (cloth or paper mask) in terms of side effects. The N95 mask, which filters out 95% of particles with a median diameter >0.3 µm2 , because it impairs respiratory exchange (breathing) to a greater degree than a soft mask, is more often associated with headaches. In one such study, researchers surveyed 212 healthcare workers (47 males and 165 females) asking about presence of headaches with N95 mask use, duration of the headaches, type of headaches and if the person had preexisting headaches.[2]
They found that about a third of the workers developed headaches with use of the mask, most had preexisting headaches that were worsened by the mask wearing, and 60% required pain medications for relief. As to the cause of the headaches, while straps and pressure from the mask could be causative, the bulk of the evidence points toward hypoxia and/or hypercapnia as the cause. That is, a reduction in blood oxygenation (hypoxia) or an elevation in blood C02 (hypercapnia). It is known that the N95 mask, if worn for hours, can reduce blood oxygenation as much as 20%, which can lead to a loss of consciousness, as happened to the hapless fellow driving around alone in his car wearing an N95 mask, causing him to pass out, and to crash his car and sustain injuries. I am sure that we have several cases of elderly individuals or any person with poor lung function passing out, hitting their head. This, of course, can lead to death.
A more recent study involving 159 healthcare workers aged 21 to 35 years of age found that 81% developed headaches from wearing a face mask.[3] Some had pre-existing headaches that were precipitated by the masks. All felt like the headaches affected their work performance.
Unfortunately, no one is telling the frail elderly and those with lung diseases, such as COPD, emphysema or pulmonary fibrosis, of these dangers when wearing a facial mask of any kind—which can cause a severe worsening of lung function. This also includes lung cancer patients and people having had lung surgery, especially with partial resection or even the removal of a whole lung.
While most agree that the N95 mask can cause significant hypoxia and hypercapnia, another study of surgical masks found significant reductions in blood oxygen as well. In this study, researchers examined the blood oxygen levels in 53 surgeons using an oximeter. They measured blood oxygenation before surgery as well as at the end of surgeries.[4] The researchers found that the mask reduced the blood oxygen levels (pa02) significantly. The longer the duration of wearing the mask, the greater the fall in blood oxygen levels.
The importance of these findings is that a drop in oxygen levels (hypoxia) is associated with an impairment in immunity. Studies have shown that hypoxia can inhibit the type of main immune cells used to fight viral infections called the CD4+ T-lymphocyte. This occurs because the hypoxia increases the level of a compound called hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), which inhibits T-lymphocytes and stimulates a powerful immune inhibitor cell called the Tregs. This sets the stage for contracting any infection, including COVID-19 and making the consequences of that infection much graver. In essence, your mask may very well put you at an increased risk of infections and if so, having a much worse outcome.[5,6,7]
People with cancer, especially if the cancer has spread, will be at a further risk from prolonged hypoxia as the cancer grows best in a microenvironment that is low in oxygen. Low oxygen also promotes inflammation which can promote the growth, invasion and spread of cancers.[8,9] Repeated episodes of hypoxia has been proposed as a significant factor in atherosclerosis and hence increases all cardiovascular (heart attacks) and cerebrovascular (strokes) diseases.[10]
There is another danger to wearing these masks on a daily basis, especially if worn for several hours. When a person is infected with a respiratory virus, they will expel some of the virus with each breath. If they are wearing a mask, especially an N95 mask or other tightly fitting mask, they will be constantly rebreathing the viruses, raising the concentration of the virus in the lungs and the nasal passages. 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.
It gets even more frightening. Newer evidence suggests that in some cases the virus can enter the brain.[11,12] In most instances it enters the brain by way of the olfactory nerves (smell nerves), which connect directly with the area of the brain dealing with recent memory and memory consolidation. 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.[13]
It is evident from this review that there is insufficient evidence that wearing a mask of any kind can have a significant impact in preventing the spread of this virus. The fact that this virus is a relatively benign infection for the vast majority of the population and that most of the at-risk group also survive, from an infectious disease and epidemiological standpoint, by letting the virus spread through the healthier population we will reach a herd immunity level rather quickly that will end this pandemic quickly and prevent a return next winter. During this time, we need to protect the at-risk population by avoiding close contact, boosting their immunity with compounds that boost cellular immunity and in general, care for them.
One should not attack and insult those who have chosen not to wear a mask, as these studies suggest that is the wise choice to make.
References
1. 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.
2. Zhu JH et al. Effects of long-duration wearing of N95 respirator and surgical facemask: a pilot study. J Lung Pulm Resp Res 2014:4:97-100.
3. Ong JJY et al. Headaches associated with personal protective equipment- A cross-sectional study among frontline healthcare workers during COVID-19. Headache 2020;60(5):864-877.
4. Bader A et al. Preliminary report on surgical mask induced deoxygenation during major surgery. Neurocirugia 2008;19:12-126.
5. Shehade H et al. Cutting edge: Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 negatively regulates Th1 function. J Immunol 2015;195:1372-1376.
6. Westendorf AM et al. Hypoxia enhances immunosuppression by inhibiting CD4+ effector T cell function and promoting Treg activity. Cell Physiol Biochem 2017;41:1271-84.
7. Sceneay J et al. Hypoxia-driven immunosuppression contributes to the pre-metastatic niche. Oncoimmunology 2013;2:1 e22355.
8. Blaylock RL. Immunoexcitatory mechanisms in glioma proliferation, invasion and occasional metastasis. Surg Neurol Inter 2013;4:15.
9. Aggarwal BB. Nucler factor-kappaB: The enemy within. Cancer Cell 2004;6:203-208.
10. Savransky V et al. Chronic intermittent hypoxia induces atherosclerosis. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 2007;175:1290-1297.
11. Baig AM et al. Evidence of the COVID-19 virus targeting the CNS: Tissue distribution, host-virus interaction, and proposed neurotropic mechanisms. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020;11:7:995-998.
12. Wu Y et al. Nervous system involvement after infection with COVID-19 and other coronaviruses. Brain Behavior, and Immunity, In press.
13. Perlman S et al. Spread of a neurotropic murine coronavirus into the CNS via the trigeminal and olfactory nerves. Virology 1989;170:556-560.
Dr. Russell Blaylock, author of The Blaylock Wellness Report newsletter, is a nationally recognized board-certified neurosurgeon, health practitioner, author, and lecturer. He attended the Louisiana State University School of Medicine and completed his internship and neurological residency at the Medical University of South Carolina. For 26 years, practiced neurosurgery in addition to having a nutritional practice. He recently retired from his neurosurgical duties to devote his full attention to nutritional research. Dr. Blaylock has authored four books, Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life, Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients, and his most recent work, Cellular and Molecular Biology of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
In closing, you have options. You can take the word and direction of the government “health experts”…
Or, you can study, search, and think on your own.