Revisiting the rationale of mandatory masking

Abstract

In this perspective, we review the evidence for the efficacy of face masks to reduce the transmission of respiratory viruses, specifically severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and consider the value of mandating universal mask wearing against the widespread negative impacts that have been associated with such measures. Before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, it was considered that there was little to no benefit in healthy people wearing masks as prophylaxis against becoming infected or as unwitting vectors of viral transmission. This accepted policy was hastily reversed early on in the pandemic, when districts and countries throughout the world imposed stringent masking mandates. Now, more than three years since the start of the pandemic, the amassed studies that have investigated the use of masks to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (or other pathogens) have led to conclusions that are largely inconsistent and contradictory. There is no statistically significant or unambiguous scientific evidence to justify mandatory masking for general, healthy populations with the intention of lessening the viral spread. Even if mask wearing could potentially reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in individual cases, this needs to be balanced against the physical, psychological and social harms associated with forced mask wearing, not to mention the negative impact of innumerable disposed masks entering our fragile environment. Given the lack of unequivocal scientific proof that masks have any effect on reducing transmission, together with the evident harms to people and the environment through the use of masks, it is our opinion that the mandatory use of face masks in the general population is unjustifiable and must be abandoned in future pandemic countermeasures policies.

Wearing face masks while climbing stairs influences respiratory physiology

“…A scoping review by Kisielinsky et al [34] warns of a CO 2 increase while wearing masks, up to potentially toxic levels, mostly in vulnerable groups; furthermore, Kisielinsky describes a mask-induced exhaustion syndrome with objective measurements [35]. Concurrently with the publication of these hazards, Beauchamp and Mayhew [36] reviewed evidence supporting reduction of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and concluded that the downsides of mask wearing outweigh their potential benefits, both physical and psychological. Additionally, a Cochrane report [37] reviewed the effectiveness of masks to prevent infection, concluding that uncertainty exists regarding the effects of face masks, with pooled results of multiple trials that did not show a clear reduction in spread of respiratory viral infection when using surgical masks.…”

Evaluating Masks Through the Lens of Evidence-based Medicine

“…Additional high-quality data produced throughout the pandemic reinforced that conclusion. In spite of that, with a few exceptions [57], most critical reviews or opinion articles have never questioned the effectiveness of masks in the COVID-19 pandemic. While intuition and laboratory experiments suggest that masks are plausible interventions, their continued failure in randomized clinical trials undermines their effectiveness.…”

The Bacterial Burden of Worn Face Masks – Observational Research and Literature Review

“…Masks should not be mandated for the general population given this balance of evidence against their use. These points have been raised by many scientists [15,17,18,37,38,124,158,165,166] including leading breathing experts [167].…”