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New CDC Report:

85% of New COVID-19 Infections Were in People Wearing Face Masks

 

By:  David Deschesne

Fort Fairfield Journal, October 21, 2020

 

   Surgical face masks and bandanas are now all the rage in the public for stopping the dreaded coronavirus, despite an overwhelming body of scientific evidence proving they are wholly ineffective at stopping respiratory viruses.

   A new study, entitled “Community and Close Contact Exposures Associated with COVID-19 Among Symptomatic Adults = 18 Years in 11 Outpatient Health Care Facilities - United States, July 2020,”1 was  published by the CDC COVID-19 Response Team on September 11, 2020 in the US CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.  The report showed that 85 percent of Case-Patients with a positive PCR test for SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection, and showing symptoms, were in people who reported wearing a cloth face covering or mask either “often” or “always” 14 days before the illness onset.

   Of the case-patient group of 154 people who had both symptoms and a positive PCR test, 108 reported they had “Always” worn a cloth face covering or mask and 22 reported wearing one “Often” prior to symptom onset.  6 people out of the 154 positive COVID-19 infections reported “Never” wearing a face mask.

   The control group was comprised of people from the same health care facilities as the Case-Patients Group.  The Control Group had symptoms (fever, runny nose, etc) but a negative SARS CoV-2 PCR test result.  Of the 160 people in the control group with fever, runny nose and other symptoms - but a negative PCR test -  118 reported that they “Always” wore a face mask and 23 reported wearing a face mask “Often”.  This leads to a rate of 88% of the people who wore face masks in the control group still getting infected with some form of respiratory virus that was not necessarily COVID-19.

   Again, 85% or more of the people who caught COVID-19 wore a face mask, which goes to further prove the science that says face masks don’t stop respiratory virus transmission.

   The report also showed how the odds of getting infected from COVID-19 were the lowest in shopping/grocery store settings, office settings and salons.  It was highest in a Bar/Coffee shop setting, followed by churches or religious gatherings and then gyms.  These are about the same odds as catching any respiratory virus like the common cold or seasonal flu.

 

1. Ref:  https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/pdfs/mm6936a5-H.pdf