As author Bryan Fischer has stated:

A review of the scientific literature on COVID-19 reveals that, simply put, “masks and respirators do not work. There have been extensive randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies, and meta-analysis reviews of RCT studies, which all show that masks and respirators do not work to prevent respiratory influenza-like illnesses, or respiratory illnesses believed to be transmitted by droplets and aerosol particles.”

The reason is that none of the available masks has a mesh that’s fine enough to capture the COVID-19 particles. In fact, the known facts of physics and biology say that masks cannot work. “The main transmission path is long-residence-time aerosol particles (< 2.5 μm), which are too fine to be blocked, and the minimum-infective dose is smaller than one aerosol particle.” (Emphasis mine.) In other words, it only takes a dose smaller than one aerosol particle to infect someone, and none of the masks can capture even a single particle that small.

Here’s a sample of the medical literature on the subject:

Jacobs, J. L. et al. (2009) “Face mask use in HCW (Health Care Workers) was not demonstrated to provide benefit in terms of cold symptoms or getting colds” (which of course are caused by viruses). Plus, the health care workers were significantly more likely to experience headaches.

Cowling, B. et al. (2010) “None of the studies reviewed showed a benefit from wearing a mask, in either HCW or community members in households therein.

bin-Reza et al. (2012) “There were 17 eligible studies. … None of the studies established a conclusive relationship between mask/respirator use and protection against influenza infection.”

Smith, J.D. et al. (2016) “We identified six clinical studies … . In the meta-analysis of the clinical studies, we found no significant difference between N95 respirators and surgical masks in associated risk of (a) laboratory-confirmed respiratory infection, (b) influenza-like illness, or (c) reported work-place absenteeism.”

Offeddu, V. et al. (2017) “Evidence of a protective effect of masks or respirators against verified respiratory infection (VRI) was not statistically significant.”

Radonovich, L.J. et al. (2019) “Among outpatient health care personnel, N95 respirators vs medical masks as worn by participants in this trial resulted in no significant difference in the incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza.”

Long, Y. et al. (2020) “There were no statistically significant differences in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza, laboratory-confirmed respiratory viral infections, laboratory-confirmed respiratory infection, and influenza-like illness using N95 respirators and surgical masks.”

Conclusion: “No RCT study with verified outcome shows a benefit for HCW or community members in households to wearing a mask or respirator. There is no such study. There are no exceptions. Likewise, no study exists that shows a benefit from a broad policy to wear masks in public.... All of this to say that: if anything gets through (and it always does, irrespective of the mask), then you are going to be infected. Masks cannot possibly work. It is not surprising, therefore, that no bias-free study has ever found a benefit from wearing a mask or respirator in this application.”

It’s long past time for our health officials to start dealing in actual science instead of the pseudo-science they’ve been peddling since the beginning of this self-induced, panic-driven hysteria. They should begin today to broadcast loud and clear that there is no known benefit arising from wearing a mask in a viral respiratory illness epidemic.

The bottom line is quite simple: Masks do not work, cannot work, and never will work.

To impose mandatory masking is an outrage against sound science, liberty, and common sense.  

Hugh Owen, Director of an Educational Non-Profit Organization; Member, John Paul II Academy for Human Life and the Family; Retired School Principal, with a permanent license to be a Superintendent of Schools or K-12 Principal in the State of New York.