To mask, or not to mask?
What Gladys Little taught me about public masking during "the Great Influenza"
WARNING: THE SURGEON GENERAL OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA HAS DETERMINED THAT MASKS ARE PRETTY MUCH WORTHLESS
In 2017, three years before the Covid-19 corona virus escaped the Wuhan Viral Institute and infected the world,1 WGBH Educational Foundation broadcast a three-part documentary series on PBS stations titled American Experience: The Great War. The series was well-researched and included a treasury of archival footage from the World War I era including high quality film, photography, newspaper clippings, and historian commentary from the period.
Episode 3 of The Great War includes the story of how the 1918 H1N1 corona virus swept the U.S., most prolifically among soldiers, and later the general population. Unlike today’s Covid-19 virus, in which the majority of infected persons are only causally ill, or not ill at all, in 1918 the average patient lived only 12 days from the time of infection, and sometimes died even within 12 to 48 hours of showing symptoms.2 Unlike today, the 1918 virus was particularly brutal to younger people, children, and of course the elderly. In France where war was the focal point for the Americans, it was easy to identify the German enemy, but back home in the States, the enemy was invisible, no one knew how the virus spread, and there was no known treatment. Most victims with the flu died from pneumonia, the natural ending of a diseased body.
The story of the front line war against the 1918 virus was told to me by first-hand witness Gladys Little, a Canadian nurse recruited by the International Committee of the Red Cross who had been dispatched to a hospital ship off shore of France where wounded American, Canadian, and French soldiers were ferried for treatment, convalescence, and (if they were lucky) returned home. Gladys Urquhart Little was my grandmother, my guardian parent, and a nurse for the remainder of her life, including the time when I grew up in her home.
Even though the war continued to rage in France, Gladys was later assigned to duty in a different war in the United States: where influenza was sweeping through battalions of healthy young sailors, marines and soldiers. She worked under a team of medical specialists assembled by Johns Hopkins, now considered the world’s leading research institute in infectious disease at the time.
“Whatever you do, don’t let them make you wear a mask!”
One thing that Gladys clearly emphasized to me as she told the story of her WWI nursing experience: “Whatever you do, don’t let them make you wear a mask!” That was an odd thing to say to a 13-year old in the mid-1960’s. Was this a prophecy? And who is “them”? At the time, America was in the grip of a horrendous flu pandemic. It turns out that in 1918 and 1919, the medical community realized that improper care of infected flu patients, including masks or face coverings on patients, contributed to the death of flu victims, but did nothing to prevent the transmission of the virus disease.
The flu in 1968 was also serious, and it was discussed frequently in the newspapers and TV to some extent, but Americans continued about their business in normal fashion. The war in Viet Nam and the Space Race were of far more concern to Americans than a flu virus in 1967.
In September of 1918, 40,000 soldiers were admitted to hospitals across Europe with the H1N1 corona virus flu. Some of these hospitals were makeshift outdoor camps, with only tents to care for the afflicted. In the U.S., Walter Reed Hospital was soon overwhelmed with flu virus patients. Some patients died the same day symptoms first appeared. Soon masks were being worn everywhere (in public), and many cities mandated the wearing of masks. But the masking of the public was proven worthless.3 Later the medical profession would conclude that masks did nothing to prevent the spread of H1N1 virus, and instead created sanitation issues which promoted inflammation and pneumonia, the most frequent cause of death among victims of the flu virus.4 Officials lied to Americans in 1918, and they are lying to us now.5 Which is the greater threat: pushing the government agenda for public health, or the economic and health consequences caused by government induced fear?
Photographs of Walter Reed and other hospitals clearly show neither the medical staff nor the flu patients wearing masks, even though these teams were led by the flu experts of the day. Instead, fresh air, distancing, and other practical methods were employed to attempt to get the upper hand over communication of the disease, because covid6 influenza is a respiratory disease, in that it destroys the victim’s immunity against infectious germs (bacterial diseases).
It was this documentary and these pictures that reminded me of my grandmother’s stark mask warning. Medical researchers concluding the increased spread was caused by crowded conditions such as military barracks, hospital ships, and isolation camps, and masking of patients contributed to bacterial diseases and respiratory illnesses that would eventually kill the flu-infected patients. Over 2 million Americans and as many as 40 million people worldwide died from the Great Influenza of 1918—far more than the pandemic of today.
Today we see many thousands—perhaps millions of people going about daily life wearing a mask which is supposed to have some kind of magical protection against covid-19.7 Officials are making kids wear masks to school, even pre-school or younger, even though covid-19 is a virus which rarely threatens children or young people (unlike the 1918 flu, which killed healthy young men, women, and children as well as the weak and elderly). A two-year old is not allowed to travel on an airplane in the U.S. without a mask, even though the chance that a two-year old can contract or communicate the disease is exactly zero. On the other hand, the mask itself presents a health threat, as a pathogen and allergen collector which is extremely unsanitary.
Tests have shown that cloth masks reduce a persons oxygen intake—the critical element of health respiration, and increase carbon dioxide recovery to very dangerous levels as high as 30% to 60%. But tests have also shown that cloth masks, when worn and used properly, can reduce the broadcast of droplets from coughing or sneezing. Droplets expressed from an infected person would spread virus particles to other persons or surfaces.
No scientific peer-reviewed published study proves or suggests that masks protect anyone against a covid flu virus. How could it? Since the virus particles, which are very tiny on an atomic scale and cannot be viewed through an optical microscope, are up to 1000 times smaller than, say, a bacterial organism. Virus particles easily pass through materials such as cloth or paper. The Covid-19 virus particle has been shown to travel freely through air as an aerosol, meaning it does not need a host such as human droplets to aid its journey. The best cloth masks are only 30% to 80% effective in trapping virus particles, which means they are not effective at all.
The only known scientific studies demonstrate that masks have no value in halting the virus in public settings.8 A mask may be more effective at home,9 which is where most Covid-19 transmission takes place. But very few people wear a mask at home.
Masks are the least effective method to prevent the spread of covid viruses, when there are many more simple things people can do daily to protect themselves, such as simple washing. Masks are unsanitary, have the potential to spread disease, and greatly inhibit the natural expiration process of the human body, which helps to protect against respiratory disease.
Viruses, unlike germs, pollen, and tiny little creatures called mites, pass through porous materials such as cloth or paper. The “Wuhan virus” or Covid-19 virus is so tiny, it cannot be seen under the highest powered optical microscope. These particles are barely larger than molecules of air. Instead, this virus must be viewed under an electron scanning device. No cloth or paper mask can prevent its spread.
Researchers and medical doctors are fully aware of this problem, and political authorities admit the same.10 But their excuse for masking the masses is that wearing a mask may help reduce droplets which may be infected with virus particles. The problem is, if virus particles are freely transmitting in the air, what difference does it make if they be found in a droplet? If you are human and if you are infected with Covid-19 virus, you are spreading the virus just by the mere act of breathing, with or without a mask.
Not convinced? Take a 30-minute used mask and view a small swatch under a 2500-power microscope (the kind of instrument you used in biology lab in college, or you might have at home if you care for animals) and you will be amazed at what you see: bacteria, pollen, fungus. If you do choose to wear a cloth or paper mask, to change the mask out frequently during the day. Some employers require their workers to change masks every 30 minutes. Disposable paper masks are best for this purpose. Otherwise you are increasing your chances you are going to get sick from these germ pollutants, and in some cases you are better off without the mask so that your respiratory system can properly do its job.
If actual Covid-19 viral particles are present in one’s breath, those particles flow freely through the mask anyway and follow the air current. Medical-grade N-95 masks, the kind that surgeons might wear during surgical operation procedures, are effective to some extent, because that type of mask provides a tight seal around the respiration area of the face, and the air is filtered through a microbiological filter. But unless you work in a medical environment, you probably don’t have access to that type of equipment. We already know that the Covid-19 began its spread in a lab in Wuhan, China, among lab researchers where the workers already had access to N-95 grade equipment.
Washing your face frequently throughout the day and washing hands frequently will do far more to prevent the spread of disease germs and viruses than any face covering could do. Use of a face mask could actually discourage people from proper facial hygiene, often resulting in serious facial skin rashes and even skin infections.
The Oregon Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) admitted that face coverings do not prevent the spread or transmission of Covid-19 or other viruses.11 So why does the state’s governor insist citizens wear face coverings in public places? It turns out that officials admit that while face coverings are not effective against transmission of viruses such as Covid-19 as an aerosol, a face covering “might” help spread the transmission of droplets when a person coughs or sneezes. Viruses are more likely transmitted freely through the flow of air than through a glob of saliva or mucous.
Through my research I could only find two published scientific peer-reviewed studies (which included control populations) on the subject, neither of which were conducted in the United States. Both studies concluded that masking made no difference in the disease outcome.
Why aren’t health officials in the U.S. conducting similar scientific studies?
“Chinese virologist claims COVID was made in lab—but U.S. studies don’t agree,” The New York Post, Natalie Musumeci, September 11, 2021.
American Experience: The Great War, WGBH Educational Foundation, Episode 3, 2017.
Barry, John B., The Great Influenza, Penguin Books, Pgs. 456-58 (2018)
Barry, John B., The Great Influenza, Penguin Books, Pg. 460 (2018)
Barry, John B., The Great Influenza, Penguin Books, Pg. 461 (2018)
“Covid” refers to a particular class of virus particles which exude spike-like appendages (hence corona as a “crown”) which aid the particles in the invasion of living matter such as cells or even bacteria. The common cold is a corona virus, and so was the great flu virus of 1918. Viruses are chemical agents that attack both animal and plant life, including bacteria and fungi.
“Disease expert tells CNN: Most masks really don’t work against Wuhan Virus,” Townhall, Kaitie Pavlich, August 2, 2021
Alexander, Paul E., Masking: A Careful Review of the Evidence, American Institute for Economic Research, https://http://www.aier.org/article/masking-a-careful-review-of-the-evidence/ (February 11, 2021)
Barry, John B., The Great Influenza, Penguin Books, Pg. 457 (2018)
“Disease expert tells CNN: Most masks really don’t work against Wuhan Virus,” Townhall, Kaitie Pavlich, August 2, 2021
See OAR 437-001-0744 (2)(r) not effective against aerosol and other air born pathogens