[Epoch Times] A systematic review of 2,168 studies that looked into the adverse effects of wearing masks during the COVID-19 pandemic has found that the practice led to negative health consequences, including itching, headaches, and restriction of oxygen."Masks interfered with O2-uptake and CO2-release and compromised respiratory compensation," the review states. "Though evaluated wearing durations are shorter than daily/prolonged use, outcomes independently validate mask-induced exhaustion-syndrome (MIES) and down-stream physio-metabolic disfunctions. MIES can have long-term clinical consequences, especially for vulnerable groups."
The restriction of oxygen uptake and hindrance in carbon-di-oxide release was identified as more significant among users of N95 masks. Continuous rebreathing of carbon dioxide results in the "right-shift of hemoglobin-O2 saturation curve."
"Since O2 and CO2 homeostasis influences diverse down-stream metabolic processes, corresponding changes toward clinically concerning directions may lead to unfavorable consequences such as transient hypoxemia and hypercarbia, increased breath humidity, and body temperature along with compromised physiological compensations," the review states.
The review also said that several mask-related symptoms may have been misinterpreted as symptoms of long COVID.
Now THAT'S intriguing!
It suggested that the side effects of face masks be assessed based on risk-benefit analysis after taking into consideration their effectiveness against viral transmissions. If "strong empirical evidence" showing the effectiveness of masks is absent, the study recommended that wearing masks should not be mandated, "let alone enforced by law."Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, existing data on respiratory viruses had shown that there was no basis for wearing masks to prevent their spread. "All the studies done in the world until 2020 showed that there is no justification for this," Yoav Yehezkelli, a specialist in internal medicine and a lieutenant colonel in the Israel Defense Forces, said in an interview with The Epoch Times in January.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the WHO issued guidelines that there was no need for wearing masks in the general public, he pointed out.
But in 2020 following the COVID-19 outbreak, recommendations on mask-wearing around the world suddenly changed "without having any new professional support to confirm that it does indeed have effectiveness against respiratory infection."
I still see people riding bicycles through the subdivision, wearing a surgical mask.