The Mask Is Off: Illinois Has No Science Behind Its School Masking Mandate – Wirepoints

By: Mark Glennon*

Last week an Illinois reporter finally asked what scientific support the state has for mandating masks on school children. At the Wednesday press conference, Gov. JB Pritzker had Dr. Emily Landon, one of his top COVID policy advisors, give the answer.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has a whole web page on it, Landon answered, and she vaguely referenced some Minnesota study (which we cannot find and Landon did not identify). The video is here.

That’s it. That’s all we have ever gotten from the Pritzker Administration on its science behind masks on kids, so that is what we will look at in this column. There was no follow up question and, as always, no reporter confronted Pritzker or his advisors with the vast evidence and expert opinion now published showing that masks on school kids have little if any value, which in any event is outweighed by harm being done to our children.

Since Illinois has blindly followed all CDC guidance on COVID, we will also look beyond the web page Landon referred to and consider other claims the CDC and Landon have made on the subject.

The CDC page Landon apparently was referring to is linked here. It’s what the Illinois Department of Public Health sent me when I asked for it and any other science they cared to offer. They also referred me to Landon directly, whom I emailed for the same, though she never responded.

Look through that CDC page yourself if you want. Go to the “Mask use” section. That’s the only portion relevant to whether masking school kids is worth it. Among the problems that should be immediately apparent:

  • The studies cited on the CDC page lump masking in with a variety of other mitigation measures, rendering them useless as a measure of the efficacy of masks on children.
  • All the supposed science was written before the December arrival of the omicron variant, rendering it meaningless. Omicron defeats masks far more easily because it is far more contagious than earlier variants and accounts for almost all current COVID infections.
  • Most importantly, none of the material cited by the CDC attempts to weigh any supposed benefit of masks on school children against the vast harm done to them and their education.

Illinois has long followed CDC guidance reflexively and without scrutiny, yet it’s difficult to imagine how anybody following the subject affords any credibility to the CDC.

It still has never bothered to run a randomized, controlled test on masking, which is the standard scientists look for. Instead, it squelched its own study showing masks are ineffective on school kids. In November, we collected more of its suppressed evidence, distortions, fabricated studies and outright falsehoods here. They include the ridiculous earlier claim by the CDC director that masks can reduce your chances of getting a COVID-19 infection by 80%. Harvard medical school’s Martin Kuldorff retweeted a note saying “Not a single paper supports this made-up 80% figure.” The claim was “preposterous,” wrote Stanford epidemiology Professor Jay Battacharya.

Since then, the CDC has only gotten worse. To support its policy on school masking, the CDC this month released a study done in California purportedly showing mask effectiveness. It has been savaged by leading scientists. “The paper is entirely, irredeemably flawed. Its flaws are so evident that it should not have been published nor promoted,” wrote Vinay Prasad of the University of California.

“When it comes to masks, the CDC is its own worst enemy,” says a recent column in Newsweek. “The CDC spread what amounts to misinformation in its promotion of cloth masks, which countless medical experts have said are useless against Omicron, the dominant COVID-19 variant in the United States.”

“In this case and others, the [CDC] has proven that it cannot be trusted to act as an honest broker of scientific information,” as columns in Reason have documented.

The biggest and most cited study on masking in general was conducted in Bangladesh. It was randomized and controlled. It found zero indication that cloth masks work. Cloth masks are overwhelmingly what school kids use – by necessity because higher quality masks don’t typically fit children and are far less comfortable to wear through a school day.

Dr. Emily Landon at an earlier Pritzker press conference

Landon, however, has long been an extreme zealot on cloth masks.

“Cloth masks are our lifeline, she aggressively claimed in an earlier speech extolling cloth masks, specifically. “So please, she said, “never leave the house without your face covering. And always put it on when you go inside another building or if you’re near other people outside. Soon, I promise, it will be as natural as wearing pants, which most of us are pretty good about.” In truth the science behind masks was questionable even before COVID, as discussed here.

Another study frequently cited by the CDC supposedly justifying masking kids was conducted in Arizona. It, too, has been ridiculed. It “turns out to have been profoundly misleading,” wrote the Atlantic. “You can’t learn anything about the effects of school mask mandates from this study” says the column, quoting a public-health economist at Arizona State University.

For a more thorough review of the why CDC mask studies prove nothing, see The Case Against Masks at School in The Atlantic. The overall takeaway from their studies, it says, is the claim that schools with mask mandates have lower COVID-19 transmission rates than schools without mask mandates “is not justified by the data that have been gathered.”

Landon earlier emphasized that the sacrifice is not just for one’s self but for others. “It’s because we have the grit and the compassion to make sacrifices for the good of our community, for people we don’t even know,” she has said.

In truth, the opposite is true regarding masking school kids. The mandate on kids is adult selfishness. Kids face no material risk from COVID, which has been long known. The only rationale for masking them would be protecting adults – if only masks worked.

Landon recently tweeted this:” I really find it funny that people think we can just decide to be done with #covid…. We have to actually do stuff to make covid have less impact.”

That’s “funny”?

Is it funny that so many nations are “done” with COVID mandates of any kind and have dropped all COVID measures, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway?

Is it funny that states like Florida and Wisconsin, which have imposed no masking or other mandates of any kind, have had fewer COVID deaths than Illinois, age-adjusted and per capita?

Is it funny that 39 states have no mask mandates?

Is it funny that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control recommends against the use of masks for any children in primary school.

It would be funny that she thinks it’s funny, except the risks and consequences for school kids forced to wear masks are so severe. We are only beginning to understand the harm being done to children, but the evidence so far is frightening. The American Institute for Economic Research has a particularly comprehensive report on masks, and lists the following harms:

(i) difficulty with breathing

(ii) inhalation of toxic substances such as microplastics and chlorine compounds located in the masks (these are potentially serious risks)

(iii) CO2 intoxication 

(iv) sudden cardiac arrest seen in children

(v) a reduction in blood oxygenation (hypoxia) or an elevation in blood CO2 (hypercapnia)

(vi) psychological damage

(vii) (N95 masks) a reduction in the PaO2 level, increases in respiratory rate, and increases the occurrence of chest discomfort and respiratory distress with prolonged use 

(viii) dizziness and light-headednessheadaches especially among healthcare workers

(ix) bacterial and mold buildup in children’s masks that can then be inhaled 

(x) anxiety and sleep problems, behavioral disorders and fear of contamination in children

(xi) deoxygenation during surgery

(xii) potentially life-threatening damage to the lungs (e.g. Stanford engineers report that masks can make it much more difficult to breathe, estimating that N95 masks as an example, reduce oxygen intake from 5% to 20% and if worn for a prolonged period)

(xiii) as reported by Koops, facial skin infections, nose/throat and sinus infections, a change in breathing patterns.

You won’t hear any of that from the CDC, Landon or any other Illinois public health officials. They simply have never bothered to make a case comparing even alleged benefits of school masking to the harm being done.

If there’s any good to come out of this pandemic it may be the lesson our young people are learning about skepticism that must be shown toward dogmatic rule by government and supposed experts. Aside from the dead and their loved ones, it is they who have been treated most cruelly during the pandemic. And that cruelty has been deliberate, with children being been used as pawns in a mindless attempt to protect adults. May they never forget.

*Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints.

Update: Tablet Magazine has an excellent new column detailing CDC misinformation: How the CDC Abandoned Science.

Further reading from Wirepoints and others on this subject:

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Doly Garcia
2 years ago

“Since Illinois has blindly followed all CDC guidance on COVID”

It isn’t “blindly following”. The state of Illinois could arguably be failing in their job if didn’t follow CDC guidance. They would have to present an argument that would stand in a court of law to do otherwise.

John
2 years ago
Reply to  Doly Garcia

No they wouldn’t. Guidance is not law.

jajujon
2 years ago
Reply to  Doly Garcia

Oh, I’d say it’s blindly following the CDC. Illinois is soon to be one of only 8 states with mandates – the other 42 are wrong? The CDC itself has been so erratic, deceptive and politicized that it’s reputation has been ruined. Unless you’re only watching network news, the Cuomo News Network or game shows, you’ve seen a daily dose of CDC bashing. And yet the governor and his minions can’t seem to admit their terrible mistakes and make the right choices. Hey lawyers, if we can’t sue for gross negligence, let’s demand an impeachment!

debtsor
2 years ago
Reply to  jajujon

“the other 42 are wrong?”

Yes, that’s exactly what they think.

Not the Senator's Son
2 years ago
Reply to  Doly Garcia

Florida
Indiana
Iowa
Texas
and so many others were called Neanderthals buy the puppet in charge.
All stupid accusations and found to be 100% wrong as always.
Nothing that a Democrat controlled city or state has done has been successful
unless you call driving small businesses into the dirt and killing off tens of thousands of jobs.
All a bunch of fools who blindly followed a corruption so deep and so unscientific.

The crows are coming home to roost now as true science has been allowed to speak.

Good for truth.

debtsor
2 years ago

The trick the communists pull is to pick some arbitrary time period when the virus waves don’t match, and then claim that the IL death rate is lower than some other read state. But if you compare wave to wave, it’s similar.

Mark
2 years ago

Nice article but way off base in equating Wisconsin with Florida. I live in Madison, Wisconsin, and we’ve been under a mask mandate for what seems like forever. The governor did institute a statewide mask mandate but the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck it down. The governor is spineless, so he caved on dictating masks to the entire state (good), he kept the mandate for state employees and for anyone entering a state facility. Then every petty tyrant in our liberal counties and cities instituted their own mask mandates. I have no hope of this ever ending at the city or… Read more »

debtsor
2 years ago
Reply to  Mark

The Dane County mask mandate expires at the end of this month supposedly.

Lana
2 years ago

Children, to Democrats, Communist Democrats, are their Prey!
Democrats along with Teachers, teaching CRT, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are Making Children into their Slaves!
Stop masking the Children Immediately!
And Stop the Communist CRT, DEI education!

Businesses, UNMASK your Staff!

Last edited 2 years ago by Lana
Rick
2 years ago

If schools go mask optional teachers and their thug union will be painted into a corner. In a mask optional school it won’t be long before the teachers themselves defy the union and take off their masks too, as much as they love their masks. Halls of maskless kids will have teachers shedding their masks, thus disarming the union of their only remaining tactic.

Wilmette
2 years ago

Nice piece. We must reject the notion that these masks are effective at all. It’s a sham and the sole purpose is to create compliance, confusion, fear and anger amongst people.

Do you think Pritzker puts his mask back up in between bites of Cheetos every night?

Chatty Cathy
2 years ago
Reply to  Wilmette

Love your characterization ie, “It’s a sham ……! If I may, I usually say that it is a part of an effort to teach submission/subservience, which is similar to part of your list. I truly believe that they have demoralized many. And boy! have they been divisive!! This whole fiasco (particularly in blue states with Leftist pawns in place to carry out the sham) has been awful for the lot of us, and unfortunately, we did not spare the children. ;( And about those Cheetos ….. I think he has his “press time” mask laundered, pressed and starched the minute… Read more »

debtsor
2 years ago
Reply to  Chatty Cathy

+1 to every comment that points out the fact that JB is fat. he calls me a seditionist and racist? I have every right to call him fat.

dmjdjdkj
2 years ago

75,000 LA Rams fans went maskless on national TV yesterday.

But this sweet little angel has to wheeze through a mask all day

comment image

There goes my blood pressure.

Jason
2 years ago

I think that early on the CDC, NIH and others got together and had a meeting regarding this issue of masking and I’m guessing it went down something like this. “Hey, so, what we know about Covid is…there is no really stopping of this virus. We know masking doesn’t work but what we don’t want is public panic so let’s just tell everyone to put on a mask.” Or something to this effect. Then the narrative is adopted by most of the mainstream media as gospel and misinformation is spread. From the get go, I couldn’t help but think back… Read more »

NoHope4Illinois
2 years ago
Reply to  Jason

‘Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive’

Recall the CDC after much pressure admitted the ‘6ft distancing’ was just made up – just a new, arbitrary rule for everyone to follow. Of course the Covidstan Cult clings to it.

Illinois Entrepreneur
2 years ago

I do not have a source readily available, but I read a while back that MIT had done a study on the actual safe distance for people in an environment with aerosolized viral droplets. I’m drawing from memory–so forgive me if I’m mistaken — they concluded that because air moves in so many unpredictable directions and in myriad ways the only completely safe distance from an infected person was….60 feet. And those glass barriers at stores and medical offices? They actually prevent nothing, as the droplets swirl around the barrier, bounce off of other currents, and then flow beyond them.… Read more »

Not the Senator's Son
2 years ago

Nothing we said to our elected leaders got them to pay attention to real science or real facts. They let one man, someone who had no freaking clue what he was doing, crush this state down and ruin lives and businesses. Criminal!

NoHope4Illinous
2 years ago

In the coming Nuremburg-like trials on the government’s actions with Covid, after the Fauci, Collins, Daszak, et al trials, with the lesser officials held to account for their crimes, Pritzker and Landon will surely be included.

I can’t possibly think of anything more evil than using children as pawns for your political narrative.

Illinois Entrepreneur
2 years ago

I don’t have faith that our media or our government will have any level of reflection and introspection about this tragedy. That was the America of old, when they would have hearings and people were ethical and genuinely cared about our society. In the New America, things are memory holed, censored and cancelled — very much like the Communists. They do NOT want to be told “I told you so,” and they’re certainly not going to allow a bunch of Deplorables to shame them. They would rather spit in their own faces. The coming years will be a constant battle… Read more »

NoHope4Illinois
2 years ago

I think Fauci and his collaborators will get special attention for what they have done in creating the Covid19, against orders. The Pentagon is involved, but much has already been exposed. The key will be for people to realize the government lies all the time to them.

Illinois Entrepreneur
2 years ago

We can hope that Fauci will receive accountability, but I’m doubtful.

Look at what happened to everyone involved in duping the FISA warrant court — virtually nothing. These people lied on federal court correspondence under penalty of perjury, and after a slap on the wrist, they are all back in action…pensions and all.

The bureaucrats–like teacher’s unions–protect their own, and because they feel it is a “righteous cause” will easily find ways to escape accountability.

OmiKron
2 years ago

Most likely nothing will happen to Fauci but once the Dems lose the house and the Senate, it will be fun to watch him get hammered in congressional hearings.

Illinois Entrepreneur
2 years ago
Reply to  OmiKron

I’m 100% with you there. At least if we can get a good show out of it, we can get something. Watching Fauci squirm under the direct questions of Rand Paul has provided some satisfaction, but I’d love for there to be some teeth to it so he sweats further.

Unemployed observer
2 years ago

Maybe Dr. Landon should watch this mask test.

https://youtu.be/17FaG7mLEvo

Joey Zamboni
2 years ago
Reply to  Mark Glennon

By going out & wearing g mask you are saying the exact opposite of what she claims…

You are giving up & giving in to baseless fearfulness…

You are admitting defeat, as you believe your immune system, which has worked wonderfully up until 2 years ago, will no longer protect you without artificial augmentation & masks…

You are doing much more harm to yourself, with almost no actual benefit…

James
2 years ago

FWIW, I am MASSIVELY glad I homeschooled my kids. You have to arrange your life around it, and while it’s way easier than you think, there will be hard days, but… it is deeply satisfying and netter for your kids.

Goodgulf Greyteeth
2 years ago

I suppose that what people really think about Pritzker’s mask-mandate is illuminated by how common it is for most of us to ignore it. I wear one when I see my elderly father in his nursing home – because I have to if I want to see him – however the rest of the time I keep one in my pocket “just in case,” and put it on pretty much nowhere else that I go. When I’m in one of the big boxes, I’ll often see one or two people wearing one, and dozens of other people not. Small shops… Read more »

Ex Illini
2 years ago

King Pritzker has painted himself into a corner and then say he wanted to be there and it’s the bestest corner in the world. The media will agree.

Thee Jabroni
2 years ago
Reply to  Ex Illini

Must be a humungous corner for JB to fit into!

nixit
2 years ago

We have to actually do stuff to make covid have less impact.

Notice the careful choice of words: “have less impact.” That could be anything that registers even the slightest modicum of benefit regardless of cost and time. They’re so running scared now it’s not even funny. This is not an administration of leaders. They are complete followers. Always have been.

Jimmy Buffet’s followers are knowns as Parrotheads. Seems a more appropriate moniker for our JB’s squad now.

Ex Illini
2 years ago
Reply to  nixit

I have a different name for JB’s squad, but I don’t think it would be allowed.

Jeff Carter
2 years ago

Masks have never worked. Only there to spread and sustain fear.

Pat S.
2 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Carter

And don’t forget: signal virtue.

I’m done with it and, though I carry a mask with me, I won’t don one voluntarily.

Surprisingly I have yet to be challenged in stores or restaurants (I won’t show proof of vaccination either).

In November, let’s vote the bums out!

debtsor
2 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Carter

N95 masks and P100 respirators work properly if worn correctly. But it’s not reasonable to expect human adults to wear them other than for short periods of time in controlled environments like hospitals, abestos removal, painting indoors, working with industrial solvents, vermin removal in attics, etc. It is completely unreasonable to expect children to wear masks all day at school, both before and after, and during school events.

Last edited 2 years ago by debtsor
Rob M
2 years ago
Reply to  debtsor

Mark couldn’t have said it better. Masking children is a selfish ploy by the adults in charge to protect older people who the children may come into contact with. It’s selfish, it’s a power trip, and the kids are caught in the middle as they’re powerless. Im so disgusted at how this has been handled, first by Trump, next by Biden, and now by Pritzker, Cuomo, and many of the governors who didn’t lock down the nursing homes and reach out to the elderly and the infirmed as they were always the ones most affected by the virus. This is… Read more »

NoHope4Illinois
2 years ago
Reply to  debtsor

I tried to wear an N95 for a day. Halfway through my day the mask was a moist mess.

Wilmette
2 years ago
Reply to  debtsor

Work properly at what exactly? Dust and debris control, OK, but sure as heck they don’t control a aerosolized virus that’s much smaller than the pores.

debtsor
2 years ago
Reply to  Wilmette

Properly fitted N95 and P100s work OK to stop the virus. My P100 respirator has filters 3 inches think. It’s difficult to breath in that thing. Not 100% for sure but they work unlike cloth or surgical masks that provide zero and maybe negative protection.

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