Face Coverings in Schools

Advocates that can assist with Mask and Face Covering Issues in the Educational Setting

Linda Higgins of Hope Consulting and Advocacy

Office by Appointment: 13657 Norton Avenue

Chino, CA 91710

luff2sail@aol.com

cell 909 525 0763

Shannon Primer

CommonSenseAdvocate.com

Text: 760-535-5858

email Shannon@commonsenseadvocate.com

Julianna Pearce

559-676-1034 

JULIANNAPEARCE@GMAIL.COM

Advocates as volunteers for Educate. Advocate. offer a free consultation. They also offer their private practice services if you are in need of an advocate to attend meetings to advocate for your child/student. 

Lawsuits

Press Release Let Them Breathe and Reopen California Schools November 12, 2021

Judge Ruling Let Them Breathe and Reopen California Schools November 12, 2021

Let Them Breathe and Reopen California Schools lawsuit

California Children's Health Defense lawsuit vs LAUSD

Orange County Board of Education vs. Newsom

CDC Guidance

CDC Know your COVID 19 Community Level released February 25, 2022

American Academy of Pediatrics

American Academy of Pediatrics Offers New Masking Recommendations for Families Following Updated CDC Guidance March 1, 2022

California State Guidance

CDPH Guidance for the Use of Face Masks Updated February 28, 2022

Following New Health Guidance, Governor Newsom Signs Order to Update Workplace Safety Rules February 28, 2022

COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2021-22 School Year Updated August 2, 2021

CDPH K-12 Schools Guidance 2021-2022 Questions & Answers August 6, 2021

Masks for Kids: Tips and Resources January 14, 2022

CDPH Guidance for the Use of Face Coverings December 15, 2021 to February 15, 2022

N95 Respirators, Surgical Masks, Face Masks, and Barrier Face Coverings FDA

• N95 respirators are not designed for children or people with facial hair. Because a proper fit cannot be achieved on children and people with facial hair, the N95 respirator may not provide full protection.

CDPH N95 Respirator Masks FAQs

Q: Will wearing an N95 respirator make it hard to breathe normally?

A: N95 respirators may make breathing more difficult and lead to increased breathing and heart rates. Individuals with heart and respiratory conditions should check with their doctor before wearing an N95 respirator.

Q. What doesn't an N95 respirator protect against?

A. N95 respirators are not effective against the smell of smoke or gases and vapors such as methane and carbon monoxide. Vapors may also include chemicals such as organic solvents and formaldehyde.

Q. What are some limitations of the N95 respirator?

A. Some limitations of an N95 respirator include:

• They do not fit children and cannot be adapted to properly fit a child.
• Beards, stubble, or long mustaches may prevent an N95 from sealing to the face properly, causing leaks.
• It may be difficult for first-time users to put an N95 respirator on properly: practice putting it on before an emergency arises.
• If the wearer's face changes during the year (e.g., major weight loss or gain) another "fit test" should be performed.

Wait, kids & people with breathing problems should NOT wear N95 masks? November 16, 2018

"The Sacramento County Public Health Officer does not recommend use of N95 respirator masks for the general public"....."N95 respirator can make it more difficult for the wearer to breathe due to carbon dioxide buildup, which reduces the intake of oxygen, increased breathing rates and heart rates.""

N95 Respirators vs Medical Masks for Preventing Influenza Among Health Care Personnel A Randomized Clinical Trial JAMA September 3, 2019

"Among outpatient HCP, N95 respirators vs medical masks as worn by participants in this trial resulted in no significant difference in the incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza."

CDC does not recommend general public wear N95's, here's why January 28, 2021

"There's been a lot of back and forth throughout the pandemic with doctors recommending wearing N95 masks, but CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is recommending the general public not to wear them.

"They're very hard to breathe in when you wear them properly," Walensky said. "They're very hard to tolerate when you wear them for long periods of time."

The danger of the momentum behind N95 respirators January 20, 2022

"The notion that children can properly wear a form-fitted N95 that effectively seals is both absurd and dangerous. And anything else will absolutely not work. There’s clearly an inverse relationship between safety and efficacy. The only thing that might possibly work will cause danger, which is why the federal government has long mandated very specific criteria for wearing respirators."

We're a Physician and Mathematician and a Data Scientist N95s Won't Work For Kids January 24, 2022

"Unfortunately, the effectiveness of respirators is vastly overestimated, and there is scant evidence that they stop community transmission. Moreover, NIOSH-approved respirators are tight, uncomfortable, and can impede breathing. OSHA requires both fit testing and a medical evaluation before workers can wear them. We've all seen images of health care workers with bruised faces from properly worn respirators.

The truth is, the burdens of these masks outweigh their benefits for kids. "

Parental or Self-attest update to CDPH guidance

"3. Is a doctor's note required to obtain a mask exemption? Is parental or self-attestation permitted to obtain a mask exemption?

As per CDPH Guidance on Face Coverings, "persons with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a mask" as well as "persons who are hearing impaired" are exempt from mask requirements. 

Assessing for exemption due to a medical condition, mental health condition, disability that prevents wearing a mask, or hearing impairment is a medical determination and therefore must be made by a physician, nurse practitioner, or other licensed medical professional practicing under the license of a physician. Self-attestation and parental attestation for mask exemptions due to the aforementioned conditions do not constitute medical determinations.

Additionally, per CDPH K-12 Guidance, "persons exempted from wearing a face covering due to a medical condition, must wear a non-restrictive alternative, such as a face shield with a drape on the bottom edge, as long as their condition permits it.""

SAMPLE Letters to School Boards and Superintendent and attending School Board Meetings advocating for mask choice in schools

Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids (PERK) campaign UNMASK OUR CHILDREN

Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids (PERK) and California Parents United Step by Step Guide

Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids (PERK) and California Parents United Letter to School Boards and Superintendent

Let them Breathe Letter and Resolution

School District Letters to CDPH and Governor Newsom supporting mask choice in schools

Rocklin Unified School District Rocklin Unified School District Letter Letter June 17, 2021

Folsom Cordova Unified School District Letter July 20, 2021

Glenn County Office of Education Letter July 30, 2021

Multiple School Board Members Letter January 3, 2022

Rancho Santa Fe School District February 12, 2022

Tehachapi Unified School District Letter from the Superintendent to Governor Newsom February 24, 2022

Resolutions in California addressing mask choice in schools

El Dorado County Board of Supervisors Resolution on Healthy Children

Orange County Board of Education pages 34-39 July 7, 2021

Tulare County Board of Supervisors Resolution July 20, 2021

Desert Sands Unified School District July 20, 2021

San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors August 10, 2021 Packet Page 48-52

Lucerne Valley Unified School District August 12, 2021

McCabe Union Elementary School District November 9, 2021

Face Coverings and Children/Students

Masking Children: Tragic, Unscientific, and Damaging

"In sum, as mentioned, the optimal comparative research on harms has not sufficiently accumulated but what has been reported is sufficient to inform and guide us in our debate on the potential harms of mask use (surgical and cloth), especially in children. "

Austrian court overturns virus mask mandate in schools

""In it's decision published today, the Constitutional Court ruled that the measures in question were illegal,"....

"Two children and their parents had brought the case before the court, saying the measures violated the principles of equality before the law, the right to a private life and the right to education."

Corona children studies "Co-Ki": First results of a Germany-wide registry on mouth and nose covering (mask) in children

"In this publication we report the results from the parents, who entered data on a total of 25,930 children. The average wearing time of the mask was 270 minutes per day. Impairments caused by wearing the mask were reported by 68% of the parents. These included irritability (60%), headache (53%), difficulty concentrating (50%), less happiness (49%), reluctance to go to school/kindergarten (44%), malaise (42%) impaired learning (38%) and drowsiness or fatigue (37%)."

Mask Harms in Kids: 68% of Parents Report Alarming Psychological and Physical Problems In First-of-its-kind Study

"The study authors stated: 

“There are no manufacturer-independent studies on the use of masks for children and adolescents that are certified as medical products for occupational safety in professional applications. In addition, due to the unknown materials used, there are no findings on the potential protective effects or side effects of the often home-made "everyday masks" worn by the majority of children. In view of the ongoing measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, and in particular the varying obligations for children and adolescents to wear masks in school over a longer period of time, there is an urgent need for research.”"

California Pediatricians question school reopening guidelines

"State guidelines released Friday encourage facial coverings and wellness checks for students, as well as a slew of social distancing measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Gov. Gavin Newsom is sending millions of pieces of personal protective equipment to schools for both students and staff.

But the Southern California chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics spoke out recently against a similar plan for Los Angeles County schools, calling it “not realistic or even developmentally appropriate” and warned that masks for younger children could hinder their language skills and other development."

CHILD FAILS IN SCHOOL BUS AFTER DAILY FORCED MOUTH CAP

Germany

"She would have a doctor 's statement for not wearing a mouth mask in the school bus because of certain health complaints.

Despite this, she was forced daily by the bus driver to put on the mouth mask, otherwise she was not allowed to travel on the school bus."

Mandatory masks in school are a ‘major threat’ to children’s development, doctors warn

The Brussels Times

"The face mask requirement at school is bad for children’s general well-being and should be abolished, 70 doctors wrote in an open letter to Flemish Education Minister Ben Weyts."

"“In recent months, the general well-being of children and young people has come under severe pressure,” the letter’s authors said. “We see in our practices an increasing number of children and young people with complaints due to the rules of conduct that have been imposed on them.”

The doctors mentioned anxiety and sleep problems as well as behavioural disorders and germaphobia, which is a pathological fear of germs. They are also seeing an increase in domestic violence, isolation and deprivation.

“Mandatory face masks in schools are a major threat to their development. It ignores the essential needs of the growing child. The well-being of children and young people is highly dependent on emotional attachment to others,” they wrote.

According to them, “the face mask requirement makes school a threatening and unsafe environment, where emotional closeness becomes difficult.”"

Public health officer Pürner criticizes various corona measures

Germany

Pürner is certain: “The mask in public and in schools is a symbol with a fear-inducing effect. It has no other effect. ”He criticized his chief employer, Söder, for the introduction of a mask requirement in the open air. He countered the SPD health politician Karl Lauterbach, who was courted in numerous TV talk shows and recently spoke about the risk of infection in secondary education: "Schools are not the problem with # COVID19!"

CalMatters California releases school reopening guidelines

Pamela Kahn, president of the California School Nurses Organization, said guidance by state public health officials on students wearing face coverings at all times and undergoing temperature screenings is “absolutely not feasible.”

About half of the state’s school districts do not have any school nurses, she said, and in Orange County where Kahn works, staffing ratios range from one nurse for 1,100 students, to one for 10,000.

“We simply don’t have the staffing to do this, and I don’t see it’s realistic,” Kahn said, noting that her group was not involved in crafting the state guidance. “Can you imagine 2,000 kids coming in the morning having to stand there while someone takes their temperature and gives them a questionnaire?”

CT Freedom Alliance Lawsuit Mandatory Face Masks in Schools

Two Boys drop dead in China while wearing face masks during gym class

"Two Chinese boys dropped dead within a week of one another while wearing face masks during gym class, according to a report."

Parents look for answers after autistic son chokes (there are exemptions and exceptions to wearing face coverings)

" A Maryland couple whose autistic teenager died after choking on a latex glove say they have concerns about the way the public school system handles students with special needs.

The Capital Gazette reports 17-year-old Bowen Levy died on Nov. 10, five days after he choked on a glove at Central Special School, which serves children with disabilities in Anne Arundel County."

California Guidance Revised recommended double masking March 4, 2021

""Double masking" is an effective way to improve fit and filtration. A close-fitting cloth mask can be worn on top of a surgical/disposable mask to improve the seal of the mask to the face. Layering more than two masks is not recommended as this could be difficult to breathe through. Also, it is not recommended to wear two medical masks, or to wear a medical mask on top of a KN95 or an N95. Double masking may be appropriate where improved fit and filtration are especially important, and some situations where this may be considered are listed below.

Regardless of the mask type, it is only effective if it is worn over your mouth and nose."

Much to Forgive Adults have failed children in foisting unnecessary harmful Covid-19 restrictions on them

"So far, adult fearmongering has probably fooled most children into believing that school closures, social distancing, and masks are necessary precautions. But eventually, when the hysteria abets and the facts emerge, they will realize that their year of studying miserably served no more rational purpose than our ancestors’ child sacrifices to the gods. As Oscar Wilde said, “Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them.” This generation will have much to forgive."

Sensational verdict from Weimar: no masks, no distance, no more tests for pupils (Germany)

"In summary proceedings (Ref.: 9 F 148/21), the Weimar Family Court ruled on 8 April 2021 prohibiting two Weimar schools with immediate effect from requiring pupils to wear mouth-nose coverings of any kind (especially “qualified” masks such as FFP2 masks); it further prohibited the schools from demanding compliance with AHA minimum distance-keeping; and also prohibited them from demanding that pupils undergo SARS-CoV-2 rapid tests. At the same time, the Court ruled that classroom instruction must be face-to-face [i.e. not remote]."

Schoolgirl, 12, is suing school for 'requiring' pupils to wear face masks which she says 'risks causing children serious harm' to physical and mental health (United Kingdom)

"Francis Hoar, representing AB, told the court: 'The school's policy risks causing children serious harm to their physical health and their mental health.'

Mr Hoar added: 'If the trust had done its job properly ... it would have gathered evidence and reached a view as to the effectiveness of this particular measure, but it has done no such thing.

'There is no evidence, effectively, of the efficacy of these instruments that are supposedly necessary to avoid the risk of transmission of the virus.'"

The CDC's cruel, irrational guidance traps our kids in the forever pandemic

"There is absolutely no data to support our masking norm, beginning at age 2. Europeans don’t care about their kids any less than we do. 

Let’s return our kids to sanity. Stop masking kids. Do it now."

'Forced to wear scarlet letter on face': Parents upset with in-school mask policy urge DESE to change policy

"“If the vaccine works to protect people and most of the teachers and school staff are fully vaccinated or have had the opportunity to be, why must our children continue to wear their masks? Why are they being thought of last? Why are they being treated like second-class citizens? Why are they being made to wear what is essentially a 'scarlet letter' on their face for a virus that will not severely affect them?” said Ashleigh MacKinnion, the parent of a first-grade student in Marshfield."

COVID-19 Mitigation Practices and COVID-19 Rates in Schools: Report on Data from Florida, New York and Massachusetts

"We do not find any correlations with mask mandates."

More schools nationwide ditching mask requirements for students amid heated debates

"“The mask is a personal choice, and I wore it at the beginning, but I just decided that it wasn’t about the mask anymore,” said Cynthia Licharowicz, a Milton, Florida, parent who opposed Santa Rosa County’s rule. “So I decided to take it off, and I wanted my child to have the same choice.”"

Dangerous pathogens found on children's face masks

"A group of parents in Gainesville, FL, sent 6 face masks to a lab at the University of Florida, requesting an analysis of contaminants found on the masks after they had been worn. The resulting report found that five masks were contaminated with bacteria, parasites, and fungi, including three with dangerous pathogenic and pneumonia-causing bacteria. Although the test is capable of detecting viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, only one virus was found on one mask (alcelaphine herpesvirus 1)."

Ramifications of restricted breathing

"Medical consent and medical clearance are part of workplace usage requirements, and extended wear results in the necessity of an apparatus with an air supply line, yet children and essential workers alike have had no medical clearance for the largely unregulated apparatuses they have been required to don as a condition of access. "

Masked education? The benefits and burdens of wearing face masks in schools during the current Corona pandemic

"However, covering the lower half of the face reduces the ability to communicate, interpret, and mimic the expressions of those with whom we interact. Positive emotions become less recognizable, and negative emotions are amplified. Emotional mimicry, contagion, and emotionality in general are reduced and (thereby) bonding between teachers and learners, group cohesion, and learning - of which emotions are a major driver. "

Is a Mask that Covers the Mouth and Nose Free from Undesirable Side Effects in Everyday Use and Free of Potential Hazards?

"We not only found evidence in the reviewed mask literature of potential long-term effects, but also evidence of an increase in direct short-term effects with increased mask-wearing time in terms of cumulative effects for: carbon dioxide retention, drowsiness, headache, feeling of exhaustion, skin irritation (redness, itching) and microbiological contamination (germ colonization)"

Experimental Assessment of Carbon Dioxide in Inhaled Air With or Without Face Masks in Healthy Children

"A recent review⁶ concluded that there was ample evidence for adverse effects of wearing such masks. We suggest that decision-makers weigh the hard evidence produced by these experimental measurements accordingly, which suggest that children should not be forced to wear face masks."

Notice of Retraction. Walach H, et al. Experimental Assessment of Carbon Dioxide Content in Inhaled Air With or Without Face Masks in Healthy Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Pediatr. Published online June 30, 2021.

Masking kids and closing schools is irrational, unscientific child abuse

"But kids unlucky enough to live in blue cities and states were subjected to the anti-science mania of gentry liberals and the cravenness of political leaders beholden to teachers unions. 

A McKinsey study released last week surveyed the damage. It concluded that school closures “left students on average five months behind in mathematics and four months behind in reading by the end of the school year.” "

The Case Against Masks for Children August 8, 2021

"The possible psychological harm of widespread masking is an even greater worry. Facial expressions are integral to human connection, particularly for young children, who are only learning how to signal fear, confusion and happiness. Covering a child’s face mutes these nonverbal forms of communication and can result in robotic and emotionless interactions, anxiety and depression. Seeing people speak is a building block of phonetic development. It is especially important for children with disabilities such as hearing impairment."

Ramona trustees vote to allow parents to opt out of mask-wearing mandates at schools

"A majority of trustees agreed to modify the plan to allow parents to submit a form if they do not want their children to wear masks at school."

Lucerne Valley USD seeks local control on face coverings

"“It’s time for local control for schools, in my mind,” Superintendent Livingston said. “It’s time for this (state controlled mask mandates) to end. It’s time for local control to come back.”"

The Science of Masking Kids at School Remains Uncertain

"“Mask-wearing among children is generally considered a low-risk mitigation strategy; however, the negatives are not zero, especially for young children,” said Lloyd Fisher, the president of the Massachusetts chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “It is important for children to see facial expressions of their peers and the adults around them in order to learn social cues and understand how to read emotions.” Some children with special needs, for example those with articulation delays, may be most affected, he suggested. "

"One troubling aspect of the CDC and AAP’s guidance for masking children in school, nearly every expert I interviewed said, is that it has no endpoint or specific metrics. When asked when kids can remove masks in school, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said, “If our children are vaccinated, we have full vaccination in schools, we have full vaccination in teachers, we have disease rates that are low — I think then we can start thinking about how we can loosen up.” In practical terms, this seems to translate to the distant future. Likely a percentage of teachers will not get vaccinated. And estimates are that the vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11 may not be approved for emergency use until the winter or later. When an EUA does come, a significant percentage of parents won’t vaccinate their kids. By Walensky’s criteria, children may be in masks for years at school."

Goldilocks and the 4 Tiers of Student Integration

"Now that it looks like many families will want to designate their children as at-risk from COVID-19 for many more months or even years, attention must be paid to both proper mitigation and least restrictive environment for all children. School districts must identify students and staff who consider themselves at-risk and desire accommodations, while simultaneously maintaining a normal environment for those who do not desire to be treated as if they are at-risk. The tier system accomplishes this and should be incorporated into school district pandemic plans."

Making kids under 6 mask isn't science, it's child abuse

"And masking is terrible for many of them: They’re still at a stage of growth where seeing faces and expressions is vital to developing cognitive and social skills. Children with certain disabilities, in particular, need to see teachers’ faces and lips to learn.

And the CDC’s own research indicates masks do nothing for kids: Its key study in December failed to show a statistically significant benefit to masking kids in school. And a former dean of Harvard Medical School, Jeffrey Flier, noted recently, “We lack credible evidence for benefits of masking kids aged 2 to 5, despite what the American Academy of Pediatrics says.""

COVID-19 mitigation measures in primary schools and association with infection and school staff wellbeing: an observational survey linked with routine data in Wales, UK

"There was no evidence that face coverings, 2-metre social distancing or stopping children mixing was associated with lower odds of COVID-19 or cold infection rates in the school."

PROTECTION FOR THE EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS OF KIDS (PERK) campaign MASKS HARM CHILDREN

MASKS ARE INEFFECTIVE

MASKS ARE HARMFUL LONGTERM USE OF FACE MASKS ARE HARMFUL

MASKS ARE UNNECESSARY

Dan Stock Presentation to Mt Vernon School District

"On Friday, August 7th Dr. Dan Stock addressed the Mt. Vernon School Board in Indiana over the futility of mask mandates and Covid-19 protocols in most schools. 

SO, what happened after Dr. Stock spoke? Let's just say, his speech had an impact."

Hurting Children to Protect Them October 1, 2021

"That is how science advances—in spite of individual, group, or organizational biases.

This hasn’t happened for masks, as the conclusions of CDC studies have been vastly more supportive of universal and school masking than non-CDC studies. The CDC should have an interest in showing that its recommendations are evidence-based and free from political influence, contrary to recent history and the political nature of the organization. From an honest and impartial media, their results should invite more scrutiny, but there’s no sign of that happening any time soon.""

US mask guidance for kids is the strictest across the world October 2, 2021

"“Kids need to see faces,” Jay Bhattacharya, a professor of medicine at Stanford University, told The Post.

Youngsters watch people’s mouths to learn to speak, read and understand emotions, he said.

“We have this idea that this disease is so bad that we must adopt any means necessary to stop it from spreading,” he said. “It’s not that masks in schools have no costs. They actually do have substantial costs.”

The United Kingdom no longer advises masking for students or staff at all. "

California judge denies restraining order request against school mask mandate October 4, 2021

""We know each day students are suffering behind masks, and parents’ concerns are mounting," Sharon McKeeman, founder of Let Them Breathe, said in the release. "However, we are thankful our legal team was able to minimize the State’s delay tactics and that the court set our hearing for November 8 instead of a date in March 2022, as suggested by the State. The State’s position confirms that it cares more about expanding its power than doing what is best for our children.""

Parents Sue Gov. Newsom over mask mandate for L-12 students; Nov. 8 hearing set October 7, 2021

"“Children are at risk of harm from continued mask mandates,” wrote attorney Lee M. Andelin in the 48-page complaint. “It is a generally acknowledged principle of medicine that every treatment which has an effect also has a side effect, and masks are no different.”"

Effect of face mask and noise on word recognition by children and adults October 11-13, 2021

"Preliminary results indicate that word identification is significantly compromised when  produced with a surgical face mask, with more pronounced negative effects for children  listening in noise. Implications on new word recognition and learning by first graders in  noisy classrooms with compulsory mask usage are considered.

San Francisco should be like Europe when it comes to COVID, kids, masks and schools October 18, 2021

"Our duty as adults is to not only protect the younger generation, but also to do as much as possible to ensure they thrive. Their incredibly low COVID-19 risk should be celebrated and reflected in public health policy. It is well past time for our children to return to “normal routines and interactions” and to be freed from this singular focus on virus mitigation."

Making kids wear masks in school is torture, not safety October 20, 2021

"Doctors and psychologists are just beginning to study the effects of mask-wearing on kids, but the early signs aren’t good. Younger children in particular are missing facial cues and social development."

No Mandate Monday takes hold at California HS October 25, 2021

"Some students and teachers at a California high school on Monday took part in a loosely organized protest called "No Mandate Monday" that is aimed to rebuke Sacramento over its COVID-19 classroom dictates and stand up for a senior removed from campus last week for refusing to wear a mask."

Let Them Breathe No Mandate Mondays October 25, 2021

"Over 40 students at Ponderosa High School in El Dorado County peacefully unmasked and shared their smiles as part of #nomandatemondays. Teacher Mike Wilkes joined them in support of their right to choose.

The students were placed in two containment rooms without instruction and are being threatened with “involuntary transfer” (I.E. unlawful expulsion) if they continue. Mr. Wilkes was placed on unpaid administrative leave."

Shingle Sprints Teacher On Paid Leave For Supporting Students In Protest Of Mask Mandate October 29, 2021

"Another No-Mandate Monday is scheduled for next week. This time, Andi says all El Dorado County schools will be involved, not just Ponderosa High School. In a Facebook post announcing the protest, she asked her followers to “Please share and let’s see those smiles.”"

No-Mask Mondays: El Dorado County high school students stage protest, teacher put on leave October 31, 2021

"When Andi Wagner praised her daughter in a Facebook post for choosing to not wear a mask at school and stand for what she believed in, her post received a lot of attention. While responses varied from encouragement to disagreement, Wagner’s friends appreciated her daughter’s conviction. Soon after, the El Dorado County high school senior’s plan to remain unmasked at Ponderosa High School caught on. By Monday, nearly 50 students at her daughter Lexi’s school were protesting the state’s mask mandate by attending class maskless. One supportive teacher who also removed his mask was placed on administrative leave, he said."

Palm Beach therapist sees increase in children's speech delays during COVID-19 November 9, 2021

"She said that during this pandemic, her speech therapy clinic has seen an enormous shift in the ages of its patients. Before the pandemic, only 5% of patients were babies and toddlers, while today it's soared to 20%. Many parents call it "COVID-delayed."

"We've seen a 364% patient increase in patient referrals of babies and toddlers from pediatricians and parents," Theek said.

When asked if they are children having a difficult time speaking, Theek said they are "speech-delayed."

Babies start learning how to speak by reading lips at as young as 8-months-old. So when lips and faces are covered up by masks, therapists say for some kids, they can work around the mask and still learn to speak perfectly fine. But for others, it can cause speech delays."....

"Theek said, "We are seeing a lot of things that look like autism. They're not making any word attempts. And not communicating at all with their family."

Researchers will need time to determine whether COVID-19 masks are the official cause of delayed speech."

What They Did to the Kids November 21, 2021

"When it became clear that California public schools would stay closed despite the paucity of evidence that closures were effective, and the far greater amount of evidence that schools could safely reopen, I tried to volunteer to teach kids with severe disabilities in person. But my district and union would not allow it. I emailed other teachers I knew from my union and cited statements from organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics that were urging schools to reopen. State and local leaders kept referring to rising cases and deaths to justify closures, but later our county would reveal that it had actually overcounted total COVID deaths by 25%. "

COVID rules are blamed for 23% dive in young children's development: Disturbing study shows scores in three key cognitive tests slumped between 2018 and 2021, with face masks rules among possible culprits

November 26, 2021

"The study concluded that 'children born during the pandemic have significantly reduced verbal, motor, and overall cognitive performance compared to children born pre-pandemic.' 

'In addition,' the report adds, 'masks worn in public settings and in school or daycare settings may impact a range of early developing skills, such as attachment, facial processing, and socioemotional processing.'"

Mask mandates are harming our kid's development December 5, 2021

"The same people who were wrong about school openings now demand intense masking in schools. Only children have to mask all day, every day, with a break only while actively eating and drinking."....

"In a year we’ll be seeing the articles about how, actually, masks were bad for kids all along, with no apology for having gotten it wrong. Already a Brown University study tracking cognitive development in small children attributes a dramatic drop in verbal and nonverbal development to masking.

I’m going to do what I must to save my kid. But it’s long past time those in charge should have to answer for what they’ve done to so many kids who will be left behind."

The CDC's Flawed Case for Wearing Masks in School December 16, 2021

"Still, the publication and agency endorsement of the Arizona study is especially demoralizing. How did research with so many obvious flaws make its way through all the layers of internal technical review? And why was it promoted so aggressively by the agency’s director? I reached out to Walensky’s office to ask about the study, noting its evident limitations and outlier result. How, if at all, does this research figure into the agency’s continuing guidance for schools around the country? The CDC did not respond to my inquiries."

School Expels First Grader for Not Wearing a Mask December 21, 2021

"St. Croix Preparatory Academy, a charter school in Stillwater, Minnesota, expelled a first grader with speech disabilities for repeatedly taking off his mask.

The school board of St. Croix Prep voted unanimously to expel the student, who has an individualized education program (IEP) for delayed speech and other learning problems, on December 2. The child’s parents had petitioned for weeks to overturn the school’s mask mandate in their child’s case, which went into effect on September 7."

Some teachers are worried about the long-term effects of masking December 22, 2021

"Finally, it’s not only kids who stand to benefit from public health officials establishing off-ramps to masking. Curry said, “There are times where I’ll look up and I’m like, ‘oh man, [my student is] smiling a lot today. Oh, wait. I’m not supposed to know he’s smiling’…I’m not supposed to see that.” It is moments like these that make teachers realize what both they and their students are missing out on while masked."

No, N95 masks do not stop covid either December 27, 2021

"masks failed. they do not stop covid, masks never stopped covid, could not stop covid, and were known for 100 years not to stop respiratory viruses. the data from schools is outlandishly strong.

sorry to all the talismanic adherents out there who want to feel like they “did something” and visibly show tribal affinity and signal virtue, but you have all been had. 

the studies supporting this pseudoscience are all junk (mass gen, kansas, bangladesh, 200 silly droplet models) and the high quality studies all show inefficacy and have for generations."

State of California shuts down Foothills Christian Preschool for not enforcing mask mandate January 6, 2022

"The school has been shut down since December 10th, leaving over 80 families with more than 100 children had no notice and are scrambling for childcare. Also leaving 21 dedicated teachers and aides unemployed.

The State of California told them, “You must mask the children.” But “you can’t make them wear a mask because it is a violation of their civil rights.”"

Masking Children is Child Abuse January 6, 2022

"“It’s only a mask.” I have heard that comment tossed around flippantly by the parents of young patients in my clinical practice. These adults fail to see the tremendous damage masks cause to their children’s development. Since children began wearing masks at school, on the athletic field, in airplanes—essentially everywhere outside the home—I have seen a significant decline in their ability to make eye contact, speak clearly, and initiate face-to-face communication with other human beings. Emotional resilience has dramatically declined. Children have become dull and slow in their thinking. I see this with all children, but it is especially pronounced in those with autism. Most of my autistic patients who were previously emotionally stable have begun throwing tantrums again, and some have returned to self-harming behaviors. One was hospitalized for the first time in an inpatient psychaitric unit."

COVID: Evidence on face masks in schools 'inconclusive' January 6, 2022

"Schools where face coverings were used in October 2021 saw a reduction two to three weeks later in Covid absences from 5.3% to 3% - a drop of 2.3 percentage points.

In schools which did not use face coverings absences fell from 5.3% to 3.6% - a fall of 1.7 percentage points.

It said this was not statistically significant and the greater reduction in schools where masks were worn could be down to chance."

Meet Chase Desert Sands Unified School District January 7, 2022

"Then, eleven weeks ago, Palm Desert High School told Chase they could not accommodate him unless he wore a mask. Even with a letter and medical exemption from Chase’s psychiatrist and his medical team, the school rejected his plea to attend school in-person: he was pushed back to Zoom school.

The way DSUSD isolated Chase behind plexiglass and then banished him to Zoom school feels like a modern day “Scarlet Letter.” Many have called it child abuse. We know that keeping kids at home on Zoom in 2020 led to a mental health crisis for students and a spike in teen suicide."

The Antisocialization of Our Nation January 14, 2022

"Another issue with this mass anti-socialization is the manifestation of Autism Spectrum Disorder-mimicking components; faces were blocked, with young children in critical developmental stages unable to mimic social and linguistic cues. Spectrum Disorders are largely identified through input on social and language development by the caregiver, so when an apparatus creates a great deal of interference with predictable child development, there will be no way to tell the difference between actual ASD diagnoses and those manifested solely out of linguistic and social interference." 

Tory MPs back legal challenge against masks in the classroom January 15, 2022

"It points out that the pandemic has had a “profound impact” on children and says it is “imperative” that steps are taken to aid their mental and physical recovery.

The guidance on face masks in the classroom is “plainly discriminatory”, the letter says, since it put children with special education needs at a “significant” disadvantage.

The Education Secretary has failed to consider the impact on children’s wellbeing of “largely continuous” mask wearing for up to ten hours per day, it adds.

“To make this decision at this stage is to make a decision that no reasonable public body would make in all the circumstances,” the letter says.

“There is no rational basis to introduce this precaution at this stage. There is apparently no credible scientific evidence to support it and at the same time a large - and growing - volume of evidence which shows its harmful impact.”"

The Cult of Masked Schoolchildren January 19, 2022

"But most of the masks worn by most kids for most of the pandemic have likely done nothing to change the velocity or trajectory of the virus. The loss to children remains difficult to capture in hard data, but will likely become clear in the years to come."

REPORT: Mask Mandates Causing Over 350% Surge in Childhood Speech Delays January 20, 2022

"“There’s no research out there yet saying that this could be causing speech and language delays. But, most definitely, I’m sure it’s a factor,” Theek said. “It’s very important that kids do see your face to learn, so they’re watching your mouth.”"

Have San Francisco policies done more harm to children than COVID? January 20, 2022

"“We committed educational malpractice,”' said Fedorko. Now back in the classroom, every student is struggling with pronunciation or recognizing letter sounds. “I am often the only adult they interact with that can articulate the sounds, but they can’t see my mouth.” Fedorko adds that it is especially hard on autistic students who already have trouble reading faces and emotions. 

Fedorko has also witnessed an ELL student with such severe eczema that mask wearing has caused open cuts behind her ears. And yet the mask wasn’t immediately removed because the child didn’t have an exemption. “She’s 5 years old. Just take it off. It’s like all humanity is lost.” Fedorko used to live in South Korea and has many expat friends living abroad. “Why are we one of the few places in the world that puts a mask on a kid with autism, eczema or speech issues? We claim to follow ‘the science’ here. What about the science of education?” said Fedorko." 

Schoolchildren told cloth masks no longer good enough January 23, 2022

"The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has implemented even stricter mask rules for schoolchildren, now requiring students to wear a surgical or other high-grade face covering instead of a cloth mask.

The district announced that, from Monday, “masking will be required at all times, indoors and outdoors,” and children will be required to wear “well-fitting, non-cloth masks with a nose wire.”"

The Case Against Masks at School The Atlantic January 26, 2022

"Mental and social-emotional outcomes are hard to observe and measure, and can take years to manifest. Initial data, however, are not reassuring. Recent prospective studies from Greece and Italy found evidence that masking is a barrier to speech recognition, hearing, and communication, and that masks impede children’s ability to decode facial expressions, dampening children’s perceived trustworthiness of faces. Researchhas also suggested that hearing-impaired children have difficulty discerning individual sounds; opaque masks, of course, prevent lip-reading. Some teachers, parents, and speech pathologists have reported that masks can make learning difficult for some of America’s most vulnerable children, including those with cognitive delays, speech and hearing issues, and autism. Masks may also hinder language and speech development—especially important for students who do not speak English at home. Masks may impede emotion recognition, even in adults, but particularly in children. This fall, when children were asked, many said that prolonged mask wearing is uncomfortable and that they dislike it."

Should Kids Wear Masks in Schools? Maybe not. SF Chronicle January 27, 2022

"Meanwhile, kids are bearing the brunt of restrictions: all-day masking and “punitive mask culture,” as one of the many physicians speaking out recently put it; disruption to their social and emotional learning, to literacy and speech, and worrisome impacts on their mental health. My 8-year-old son brought home a self-portrait this week — it had no nose or mouth."

The left should prepare to lose the school-mask wars NY Post January 27, 2022

"But many on the left have a deep attachment to masks that isn’t based on evidence or on a calibration of costs and benefits but an a priori commitment to them as a totem of public safety and private virtue. That this feeling is subrational makes it all the stronger. The science is beside the point, although eventually — after pro-mandate Democrats sustain more political damage — it will prevail. "

Parents File California Lawsuit with Unique Strategy to Stop Mask/Test Mandates for Students January 28, 2022

"One attorney stood above all the others because he revealed a process already provided by the California Legislature that had NOT been implemented. The schools and health agencies are not following the California Administrative Procedures Act (APA) which specifies that in an emergency, all agency directives must show “need for regulation to address the emergency by substantial evidence,” where the rationale used to draft said directives must be backed by empirical study or report. 

The failure to implement the APA procedures formed the basis of the unique legal strategy they saw as a winning formula. The parents knew there would be no studies or data to substantiate the mandates."

Let Kids Take Their Masks Off After the Omicron Surge NY Times January 28, 2022

"But keeping kids in masks month after month also inflicts harm, even if it’s not always easy to measure.

“I think it would be naïve to not acknowledge that there are downsides of masks,” said Perkins. “I know some of that data is harder to come by because those outcomes are not as discrete as Covid or not-Covid. But from speaking with pediatricians, from speaking with learning specialists, and also from speaking with parents of younger children especially, there are significant issues related to language acquisition, pronunciation, things like that. And there are very clear social and emotional side effects in the older kids.”

After 2 years, growing calls to take masks off children in school NPR January 28, 2022

"For school-age children, Spitzer, the psychiatrist, is most concerned that masking interferes with nonverbal communication and emotional bonding.

Gonzalez says her students who are on the autism spectrum withdraw behind masks. "They have almost started adopting the masks as their face. It's part of their identity, it's their security blanket. I almost have to be like, 'Hey, you are allowed to take it off right now.' Like, say, if they're going to run the lap at P.E. or going into lunch to sit down — they want to eat a bite, put it back on, eat a bite, put it back on."

Mothers of typically developing children, like Stephanie Avanessian in Los Angeles, are worried about their kids, too. "They can never see their friends smile," she says. "They can never see their friends frown! They're not developing empathy. It's taken six months for my fifth-grader to make friends because it's so hard to tell what people are doing.""

Maskless California students kicked out of class say Gavin Newsom inspired them SF Gate February 2, 2022

""The governor is supposed to be setting an example and I felt like he wasn’t," one student told the news station.

"There must not be a big danger if the governor, who is supposed to be our example, has chosen to remove his mask, so it gave her the confidence to know, 'Then I can go to school now without my mask,'" said Chrystal Sabino, who is a parent of another student who went without a mask."

Hundreds of students go to school without a mask in Stanislaus County February 2, 2022

"A little more than 200 students in the Oakdale Joint Unified School District went to school without a mask on Wednesday, according to Superintendent Dave Kline.

Parents referred to images of Gov. Gavin Newsom maskless at the 49ers-Rams football game over the weekend as having inspired the protest."

With vaccines available mask mandates are not necessary in school USA Today February 3, 2022

"It’s time to shift our focus away from masks and onto the faces behind them. Mandatory masking policies are the most visible COVID mitigation interventions in schools. We have reviewed the data on school masking and find that well-controlled real-world studies consistently fail to find a convincing benefit, while studies cited to support masking have serious flaws. When an intervention’s possible benefits are too small to measure and the harms are increasingly evident, it is appropriate to end its mandatory use.

Above all, we entreat policymakers to fully restore normal life and school for all children at the first opportunity. The school years are critical for cognitive, emotional and social development. It is time to recognize the myriad threats to children’s safety – beyond that of a single virus – and to appropriately balance these risks."

It's Time to End Mandatory Masks in Schools TIME February 5, 2022

"As with any medical intervention, risks must be weighed versus benefits, and there is no proof that universal masking in schools is beneficial. We need to take into account the lack of evidence for mask efficacy and re-evaluate our policies and procedures. "

Face masks disrupt holistic processing and face perception in school-age children Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications February 7, 2022

"Changes in face recognition performance and alteration in the processing of partially occluded faces could have significant effects on children’s social interac- tions with their peers and their ability to form relation- ships with educators. Previous research in adults has already demonstrated the detrimental effect of reduced face perception abilities on one’s level of social con- fidence and quality of life (Lane et al., 2018). Given the recent increased uptake in mask-wearing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, future research should explore the social and psychological ramifications of wearing masks on children’s performance."

Schools May Want to Consider Relaxing COVID Mask Rules, CHOP Doctor Says February 7, 2022

"NBC10’s Randy Gyllenhaal speaks to Dr. David Rubin, director of PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, about starting to find ways to begin removing mask mandates in classrooms as cases of COVID-19 fall. The call to reconsider masking comes as the Philadelphia School District calls for surgical and other non-cloth masks in schools starting Monday."

Norco parents claim school principal berated students for not wearing masks February 8, 2022

"More than 100 parents protested mask mandates outside Norco Intermediate School in Norco Tuesday morning after a video began circulating on social media showing a principal telling students they would be marked truant if they continue to refuse to comply with the state mask mandate.

The video showed a group of students being spoken to by the principal in an outdoor area of the campus after the students apparently showed up at school for the second day in a row refusing to wear masks."

Is it time to phase out masks in schools? Why more states and doctors are saying yes. USA Today February 8, 2022

"Fatigue and frustration are setting in two years into the coronavirus outbreak, and a growing chorus of doctors, parents and state officials are calling for an end to school mask mandates."

The Mask Debate The New York Times February 8, 2022

"The evidence suggests that the benefits of mandated school masking are modest and that the costs are meaningful for some children, particularly after two years of pandemic life. This combination suggests that the removal of statewide mandates will probably do more good than harm, given that Covid cases are now plummeting."

Chino Hills students protest mask mandate February 9, 2022

"The protest comes as the students saw pictures of California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti not wearing masks during the NFC Championship Game."

NJ 3-year-old kicked out of speech therapy due to mask mandates: 'Catastrophic moral crime' February 9, 2022

"Dr. Meg Meeker, a pediatrician for over 30 years and creator of the podcast "Parenting Great Kids," told Fox News Digital this week, "Making children wear masks to prevent catching or spreading COVID at this time is cruel. We know that children do not get very sick if they do get COVID. Otherwise-healthy kids don't die from COVID. Also, do masks keep them safe? The evidence would say that the masks kids wear do not."

She continued, "Can using masks harm children? In my experience as a pediatrician, yes! Children feel frightened and isolated (they can't see a friend's face) — and masks constantly signal that something is terribly wrong. It's high time," she added, "that we leave kids alone and let them get back to life as usual."" 

Newsom wants to end school masks, but teachers say not yet POLITICO February 11, 2022

"Blue states are ditching their school mask mandates, but California is stuck as powerful teachers unions push back.

The classroom was always going to be the last stand for the mask wars in California. Schools stayed closed longer here than anywhere else in the country as teachers unions made access to vaccines a condition of their return. More recently, teachers have demanded better masks and more testing to guard against the Omicron variant.

Gov. Gavin Newsom seems ready to eliminate mask requirements in schools, as his counterparts in New Jersey, Oregon and Connecticut did this week. But Newsom cannot go where teachers unions aren’t ready, as was the case with school reopening a year ago."

Some California school districts are defying mask mandates EdSource February 17, 2022

"California ended its mask mandate for fully vaccinated people Tuesday for all but school staff and students, prompting protests across the state. Most school districts are sending unmasked students home, but the number of schools that are welcoming them is growing."

California Parent Speaks Out on Data and Side-Effects of Mask Wearing February 22, 2022

"Kristina Kristen is a California parent who serves on the Children’s Health Defense Board. She decided to take matters into her own hands by doing deep research on masks, and the results are nothing short of stunning and disturbing.

Kristina’s Powerpoint Presentation lays out the science and the data that will help those who pay attention, to call for the immediate end of mask mandates."

Superintendent appeals to governor, closes Tehachapi schools through Feb. 28 February 24, 2022

"“I strongly urge you to revise the current K-12 student universal indoor mask requirement for schools,” Larson-Everson said in her letter to the governor. “Instead, parental choice regarding indoor masking in school should be implemented immediately.”"

24 School Districts in 10 California Counties Disregard State School Mask Mandate February 24, 2022

"A complete listing of California’s School District Mask Enforcement Policy Changes allowing no actions of exclusion is available at Educate Advocate."

California mask mandate: It's fracturing student life CalMatters February 25, 2022

"One day a week, 16-year-old Kinsey Hage refuses to wear a mask to school. She calls it “Freedom Fridays.” Hage, a junior at Bella Vista High School in the San Juan Unified School District near Sacramento, started the protest alone in January. Now, over 100 of her peers participate.

“It’s really frustrating to know that celebrities and adults can go to the Super Bowl unmasked,” she said. “I honestly think it’s so ridiculous and unfair.”

California school boards beg Newsom for a pandemic exit strategy POLITICO February 25, 2022

"California school boards are pleading with Gov. Gavin Newsom to deliver a “specific K-12 exit strategy” on Monday when he has promised to outline an offramp for school masking and other pandemic emergency rules.

“Agitation has grown, stoked by the fact that masking restrictions have been softened or lifted in most areas of everyday life, yet remain in full force in California schools,” leaders of the California School Boards Association told the governor."

CDC eases masking recommendations for 70% of country, including inside schools February 25, 2022

""We know that also because children are relatively at lower risk from severe illness that schools can be safe places for children. And so for that reason, we're recommending that schools use the same guidance that we are recommending in general community settings, which is that we're recommending people where a mask in high levels of COVID-19" risk, said Dr. Greta Massetti, a senior CDC official."

California schools aren’t waiting for Newsom to lift mask mandate. Will state crack down? Sacramento Bee February 26, 2022

"School boards are caught in an impossible place, Gordon said. Teachers unions, generally, want to keep masks, and many parents want to remove them. There’s also the fact that many other Democratic-led states have also removed their school mask mandates. Gordon said he is advising districts to follow the state law and put pressure on leaders. “At some point the people trying to defend health rules that stop having credibility is in some ways a bigger problem. And that’s where school officials are at right now, he said. “Children can go to Disneyland today and not have to wear masks indoors or outdoors. But they can’t go to school without wearing masks.”.....

"Gordon, the lobbyist for school districts, said it has become harder for the public to view state health mandates as legitimate when even the ones who make them don’t follow them. The governor, for example, was photographed without his mask off at an NFL playoff game. “I almost think no matter what metric, no matter what transition the state comes up with…we’re still going to have this problem because of the appearance of hypocrisy by those who are handing down the requirements,” Gordon said."

End to school mask mandate cheered by Inland Empire students February 28, 2022

"Rancho Cucamonga resident Kristie Sepulveda-Burchit, who serves as executive director for the advocacy group Educate Advocate, welcomed the announcement. Sepulveda-Burchit said she has a teenage son who cannot wear a mask because of a disability.

“We think it’s long overdue,” she said.

Sepulveda-Burchit said the state got it backwards. She contends California officials should have lifted the requirement for K-12 students before ending California’s broader indoor mask mandate recently — instead of the other way around.

“They (students) should have been the first group to not have to wear masks instead of the last,” she said, citing the fact that, in general, youths tend to have less severe illness if infected with the coronavirus than others."

School mask wars far from over CalMatters March 1, 2022

"Meanwhile, some parent groups suggested that Newsom and other state leaders could face political repercussions for requiring kids to wear face coverings at school long after they were made optional for most Californians in most locations other than health care settings, public transit, homeless shelters and prisons. 

• Megan Bacigalupi, executive director of California Parent Power: “The public health and state response to the pandemic has destroyed trust between California parents and elected officials regarding whether the public school system is prepared to put children first in a crisis. … As we move to the endemic stage of this pandemic, the governor and other elected officials must reckon with our anger and frustration.”

A Child’s Life In a World on Mute March 2, 2022

"Such luxuries of time and eventual progress are denied of the forgotten children we once served with real and meaningful accommodations. 

Such grace was denied of Noah, a 4-year old boy from Wisconsin; a playful, social child who is profoundly deaf. When he spent each day of the past year in school with masked, expressionless educators, he received not the just blessing of public accommodation, but a world on mute, cut off from language for the duration of his school day, for during this critical language development stage the lips that he once read as his sole access to understanding his caregivers and peers was denied."

Speech Therapy Shows the Difficult Tradeoffs of Wearing Masks The Atlantic March 2, 2022

"And when in-person therapy resumed, masking requirements made it difficult. Some of the dozen-plus speech and language therapists I spoke with said children found the masks distracting. More important, masks hide the mouth from view, which the therapists said is disruptive to some forms of therapy, especially those that target motor speech and motor planning—“anything having to do with actual speech that comes out of your mouth,” said Alexandria Zachos, an Illinois-based pathologist. For “that type of therapy, you absolutely need to see the speech therapist’s mouth and they need to see yours,” Zachos said."

State Agency Conducted 'Mask Raids,' Interviewed Preschoolers Alone March 7, 2022

"Connie Wu’s daughter was not yet 2 –years old when she was interviewed by regulators in January. Wu doesn’t know what happened in the room or how her daughter felt – because her daughter is too young to say. 

“She’s not developmentally able to tell me,” Wu told me. “She doesn’t have the vocabulary to be able to talk about being interviewed by a stranger.”" 

Unravelling the Role of the Mandatory Use of Face Covering Masks for the Control of SARS-CoV-2 in Schools: A Quasi-Experimental Study Nested in a Population-Based Cohort in Catalonia (Spain) March 7, 2022

"Interpretation: FCM mandates in schools were not associated with lower SARS-CoV-2 incidence or transmission, suggesting that this intervention was not effective." 

Contact tracing policy for masked students may be an important confounding variable March 13 2022

Tracy Beth Høeg, MD, PhD University of California-Davis

The recent article by Boutzoukas et al [1] analyzed the association of universal vs. partial vs. optional school masking policies with secondary in-school infection and found an unexpectedly-strong association between masking policies and secondary infections given recent studies [2,3]. Unfortunately, it appears the authors have failed to consider at least one critically important confounding variable. The CDC states that “the close contact definition excludes students who were between 3 to 6 feet of an infected student if both the infected student and the exposed student(s) correctly and consistently wore well-fitting masks the entire time.” We are aware of numerous districts across the country where contact tracing during the time period of the study [1] would not have correctly identified COVID-19 cases truly transmitted in the school to have come from the school because a masked student transmitting to another masked student would not have been considered a close contact according to CDC policy. This would lead to in-school transmission cases in districts with mask mandates being overlooked by contact tracers and incorrectly considered community transmission, giving falsely low rates of secondary transmission in districts with mask requirements. Potentially related, Boutzoukas et al [1] found unexpectedly higher rates of primary infections (or community transmission) in the universal vs. optional masking districts (125.6/1000 vs. 38.9/1000) which could at least partially be due to the close contact policy mentioned above; if secondary infections were systematically and inappropriately considered primary infections in mask-mandate districts, this would have led to secondary infections being misclassified as primary infections coming from the community. This would have increased primary infection rates while lowering secondary infection rates in universal masking districts. The association observed by Boutzoukas et al [1] between masking and secondary transmission may alone have been attributable to different contact tracing policies and not due to masks at all. We worry that a policy which does not consider masked transmission in schools makes the study a self-fulfilling prophecy: the expected result is lower identified secondary transmission rates in masking districts simply due to this policy. If contact tracers discount the possibility of in-school transmission because a student was masked, as the CDC instructs; even if this only occurs in some schools, that would be sufficient to cloud the entire study’s results.

End of school mask mandate brings relief, lingering concerns EdSource March 15, 2022

"“Now that we are in an optional mode, we aren’t having to enforce it – which takes time and effort,” he said. “Now we can concentrate more on interacting with kids and getting back to what we are good at – providing instructional leadership to kids.”"

Opinion: CDC needs to fix guidance on masks in schools before a BA.2 wave San Francisco Chronicle March 18, 2022

"Our nation’s top health officials must undo the fear they helped create and reassure families and educators that normal pre-pandemic school is safe, by plainly stating so, without adding caveats that undermine that very prescription. This reassurance will also help squash panic and pressure to remask every time there is a new bump in cases or a subvariant such as BA.2, which so far is not causing a spike in cases even though it now accounts for a quarter of the coronavirus cases in the U.S. The reason the CDC switched masking guidance to a combination of cases and hospitalization rates was to avoid this precise scenario.

Whether or not the CDC can rise to this occasion, state and local health departments can, and should. Families and educators in every district should have the ability to choose whether to wear a mask at school. The CDC and local health leaders must step up and let them know this is a safe choice."

Asymmetric Testing Policies Can Introduce Systematic Under-Detection Bias Non-Linearly in Masked Districts March 21 2022

Ram Duriseti Stanford Department of Emergency Medicine and Mills-Peninsula Hospital

I am writing in regards to the recent article by Boutzoukas et al [1].

In the analysis, the outcome/dependent variable in the Quasi-Poisson Regression Analysis was the ratio of secondary to primary infections. If secondary infection detection is influenced by the CDC’s policy to not consider masked students as close contacts, then the ratio of secondary to primary infections in masked vs unmasked districts is not reliable.

CDC guidance: “In the K–12 indoor classroom setting or a structured outdoor setting where mask use can be observed … the close contact definition excludes students who were between 3 to 6 feet of an infected student … if both the infected student and the exposed student(s) correctly and consistently wore well-fitting masks the entire time [1].” 

We cannot rely on symptoms to compensate for the potential case detection asymmetry that this policy will introduce. As early as July 2020, a symptom-based approach failed to detect 45% of test-positive Pediatric patients upon admission [2]. As the authors note: “​​classification of primary versus secondary infection was adjudicated by school health staff in collaboration with the local public health department.” Consequently, local health department calibration to CDC guidelines, may affect what is assumed to be a primary infection and, more importantly, will necessarily lead to under-detection of secondary cases. Given ~32x more students in masked districts, and given that transmission networks are non-linear, the potential impact on under-detection of secondary cases is also non-linear with a maximum polynomial value of the average number of close contacts. The non-linearity emphasizes how rapidly under-detection influences secondary case detection even if contact circles are as small as 3 or 4.

The CDC guidance was also a potential confounder in the MMWR study comparing “outbreaks” in masked versus unmasked schools in Arizona [4]. In that study, unmasked districts were larger and concentrated in Maricopa County where they adopted the CDC close contact policy [5]. 89% of the largest schools did not have a mask mandate while only 48% of the smallest schools did not once again introducing a non-linear detection bias.

Given the risk of systematic under-detection of secondary infection rates in masked districts and non-linear effects, any conclusions from Boutsoukas et al.’s study need to be strongly qualified.

Ram Duriseti, MD, PhD
https://profiles.stanford.edu/ram-duriseti

1. Boutzoukas AE. School Masking Policies and Secondary SARS-CoV-2 Transmission. Pediatrics, 2022. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2022-056687
2.https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/contact-tracing/contact-tracing-plan/appendix.html#contact
3. Poline J, Gaschignard J, Leblanc C, et al. Systematic Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Screening at Hospital Admission in Children: A French Prospective Multicenter Study. Clin Infect Dis. 2020;ciaa1044. doi:10.1093/cid/ciaa1044external icon.
4. Jehn M, McCullough JM, Dale AP, et al. Association Between K–12 School Mask Policies and School-Associated COVID-19 Outbreaks — Maricopa and Pima Counties, Arizona, July–August 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:1372–1373. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7039e1external icon
5.https://www.maricopa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/58864/Quarantine-Guidance-for-Household-and-Close-Contacts?bidId=

Mask mandates for children during the COVID-19 pandemic: an international human rights perspective March 23, 2022

"As decision makers contemplate the epidemiological benefits of child mask mandates, they are legally and ethically bound to protect children’s human rights, including rights to whole-person wellbeing. The Siracusa Principles on the Limitation and Derogation Provisions in the ICCPR make it clear that the judgement of national authorities cannot be accepted as conclusive when determining the necessity of derogation measures (Principle 57), thus governments are not at liberty to prioritise epidemiological objectives over rights-based considerations. Human rights are inviolable and must form the foundational context in which public health debates are conducted and epidemiological decisions made, both in general and in the particular case of children."

Harvard poll: 40 percent of parents believe masks at school harmed their kids POLITICO March 25, 2022

"“Even if I’m in a Democratic state or district, I’d pay attention because there are a substantial number of independent parents who think the policy is hurting their children,” said Robert Blendon, a professor of health policy and political analysis, emeritus, at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “If you say something hurts my children, you’re going to feel strongly about it. … Anything that has an impact on your family has a disproportionate impact on how you think of things.”"

The Baker Knew March 26, 2022

"Baker and his agents knew since March and April 2020 that anything less than an N95 will not prevent airborne virus spread and infection. Even if an N95 is used, it is useless on children of young ages and others who have not been trained in donning the mask. N95’s must be fit-tested every time they are worn. The governor’s staff knew all of this weeks before issuing the order. Baker’s agents contracted with a group led by an MIT professor to test samples from the KN95’s flown in from China. Even those KN95’s did not perform well. Baker and his staff knew the truth and spread lies to the public in order to mask them."

Four COVID experts say it's time to accept reality: Vaccines work, mask mandates don't April 19, 2022

"There is a growing consensus that cloth masks do very little to prevent the SARS-CoV-2 virus from spreading. Even surgical masks are probably only marginally effective. Although N95 and KN95 masks have shown some effectiveness for preventing infection when worn by vulnerable individuals, these higher-quality devices only work provided the mask is worn correctly— a particularly challenging task for younger children, who remove and reapply their masks throughout the day.

Revisiting Pediatric COVID-19 Cases in Counties With and Without School Mask Requirements--United States, July 1-October 20, 2021 May 25, 2022 The Lancet

"Replicating the CDC study shows similar results; however, incorporating a larger sample and longer period showed no significant relationship between mask mandates and case rates."

Alameda County's indoor mask mandate makes no sense San Francisco Chronicle June 9, 2022

"The fact that children in Alameda County will now have to mask again for summer school and camp is frustrating for parents and incredibly unfair to students, as it is the third summer of masking in hot weather, despite children’s low risk of serious illness. Masking has worsened the isolation our kids have felt since the beginning of the pandemic and impacted language development, especially for English language learners and those struggling with speech challenges (the very populations most likely to seek out summer school)."

Why I’m Exposing Officials Who Are Still Forcing Masks on Kids June 25, 2022

"The last apostles of masking children have also mimicked the federal government’s manipulation of public trust in science. The “science” behind mask mandates is not an iterative, self-critical process of gathering evidence and applying logic; it’s self-righteous proclamation serving blatantly political ends.

The evidence supporting mask mandates is weak or nonexistent. A major study of schools in Florida, New York, and Massachusetts tracked COVID infection rates and various mitigation measures, and flatly concluded: “We do not find any correlation with mask mandates.”"

Association between School Mask Mandates and SARS-CoV-2 Student Infections: Evidence from a Natural Experiment of Neighboring K-12 Districts in North Dakota July 1, 2022

"This study found that K-12 school mask mandates were not associated with significantly lower COVID-19 student case rates. "

California will not bring back mask mandate for the new school year San Francisco Chronicle July 5, 2022

"California kids will be allowed to go to school without face masks when classes resume in the fall. But public health officials, while not requiring them, still will be recommending face coverings for students and staff in an effort to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks at K-12 schools."

The Best Mask Study Yet Brownstone July 8, 2022

"This indicates that the pairing is very well matched, confirming that mandate policies are completely irrelevant.

There was no surge in Fargo schools after the mandate was lifted, nor did West Fargo experience a prolonged peak due to their mask optional policy before the winter/Omicron increases.

It just didn’t matter. It’s hard to believe that there are people out there who still believe that masks work and mandates should be implemented. 

It’s even harder still to believe that those people also want to inflict their harmful delusions onto children, who should have been protected by adults.

No matter how large the evidence base gets, no matter how much research is conducted, it will never be enough for huge segments of the population. 

But for those willing to be convinced, for school administrators who aren’t sure how to handle the inevitable fall and winter surge this year, this study provides yet another valuable contribution to the case against mandates."

The Generation of Children Raised by Fear Brownstone July 11, 2022

"Had we been guided by courage, not fear, key pandemic decisions would have been transformationally different. We wouldn’t have closed schools, suspended the safeguarding regime for our most vulnerable children, or worn masks around young children (and arguably not at all), and we would not have mandated they masked themselves to protect us."

U.S. Public Health Agencies Aren't 'Following the Science,' Officials Say July 14, 2022

"First, they demanded that young children be masked in schools. On this score, the agencies were wrong. Compelling studies later found schools that masked children had no different rates of transmission. And for social and linguistic development, children need to see the faces of others."

Health experts are quitting the NIH and CDC in droves because they're embarrassed by 'bad science'-including vaccinating children under 5 to 'make their advice palatable to the White House,' doctors claim Daily Mail (UK) July 14, 2022

"Makary, however, warned masks may've harmed kids' social and emotional development as they couldn't properly read human emotions or the facial expressions of covered faces."

Bringing back a mask mandate in Los Angeles County is unjustified July 25, 2022

"Now in mid-2022 we have much better data. Exhaustive tracking of in-school COVID spread was indistinguishable with and without student mask use in studies in Spain, a conclusion repeated in two separate COVID waves. Studies of student masking with control groups in Georgia, North Dakota, Finland and the UK have all found the same lack of any clear benefit. One randomized controlled trial showed no significant benefit to the mask wearer, and a second randomized trial found a slight benefit (and only in older adults) that was not reproduced with a different analysis of the same data.

When researchers repeated a CDC study showing a mask benefit using identical methods but a larger and better dataset, the benefit of masking disappeared."

Some experts see less value in a new L.A. mask mandate at this stage of the pandemic LA Times July 28, 2022

"But if mask mandates no longer hold the promise of driving down hospitalizations and reducing deaths, they will be hard to defend — especially to an increasingly restive public.

“At this point we really do have to think about public health trust,” which has been deeply eroded during the pandemic, Gandhi said. “That is a real concern.”"

Opinion: I'm a computational epidemiologist. Here's why San Diego Unified's mask mandate won't slow COVID-19. The San Diego Union-Tribune July 29, 2022

"Children’s compliance with the masking policy should not be a prerequisite to obtain in-person education, especially when the policy itself is not supported by robust evidence."

Eye-contact, speech, expression: Speech pathologist treating issues stemming from Covid’s social distancing August 4, 2022

"Speech and language therapists say they’re now treating children with developmental deficits born from Covid mitigations. From understanding facial cues to reading comprehension, experts say addressing the problems early is critical."

California 4-year-old boy kicked out of school for not wearing mask August 19, 2022

"The father of a 4-year-old California boy in transitional kindergarten said school officials called the police Thursday to boot his son from class over his refusal to adhere to a district mask policy. "

Cops called on a 4 year old for the crime of going unmasked August 21, 2022

"Yet, this didn’t happen. Why? Because too many scientists have been dishonest about the evidence base. The principal who called the police has lost the ability to put this policy choice in perspective. She cannot understand the relative importance (at best/ upper bound) because she has been the victim of non-stop propaganda. As such, she believes these lengths are necessary, proportionate and justified. That is surely wrong."

Outraged dad speaks out after principal called police on maskless 4-year-old son: 'I'm livid about this' August 22, 2022

""The superintendent of the schools, when me and my wife met with him, he said, 'School is compulsory at six years old in California, so he doesn't have to come to school this year'," Shawn said.

"When we said we were not going to comply with the mandate, he said, ‘Well, he’s going to be denied school.'""

The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) is broken, failed organization August 27, 2022

"Of course, no historical studies could document the impact on long term communication among kids deprived of seeing faces because no society on earth has ever embarked on such a deranged experiment. No society has deprived children of seeing faces on this scale and for this time for so long, so naturally robust evidence of harm cannot exist. 

The burden in medicine and public health is to show evidence of benefit, and yet the AAP has never done that. The organization has never run a single cluster RCT to demonstrate masking kids works in any setting. This is despite the fact that it has continued to recommend masking for 2+ years."

EXCLUSIVE: The Gavel Project Advocates for Elementary School Children Targeted for Mask Non-Compliance September 2, 2022

"Pro-bono attorney Tracy Henderson discussed the statutes that govern and support this:

The California Constitution provides that in person instruction in public schools is a fundamental right. California Constitution article AIX § 5.  All students are entitled to “equal rights and opportunities” in education (Ed. Code § 200) and to participate fully in the educational process “free from discrimination and harassment.” Ed. Code § 201, subd. (a); To effectuate this policy, which is guaranteed by the federal and state Constitutions, the Legislature requires California’s public schools to take affirmative steps to “combat … forms of bias.” (Ed. Code § 201, subd. (b).) They also must “prevent and respond to acts of bias-related incidents” in an “urgent” manner (§ 201, subd. (d)) Donovan v. Poway Unified School Dist., 167 Cal. App. 4th 567, 606; Civil Code § 51-52 et seq. Attendance at school in California is compulsory according to California law. Cal Ed. Code § 48200.

The only way that a school can expel/suspend/exclude a student is per Education Code § 48900 which requires facts of a “clear and present danger.” This requires facts of things like bullying, guns, drugs, vulgarity, etc.

This does not mean a healthy child."

The Experience of Forced Masking from a Child's Perspective September 5, 2022

"Of all the many various pandemic abominations - and there is no shortage to choose from - the victimization of children stands above the rest as a uniquely horrific defilement of fundamental human virtue and conscience. It is a particularly heartwrenching evil that has rather shockingly become endemic in society today. Somehow, it has become normalized not only to institutionalize grotesque child abuse, but to go so far as to exclusively target children even as the adults were largely set free from the yoke of various oppressive torments inflicted under the aegis of the Orwellian regime of “public health”."

LA County superintendents want County to change COVID close contact masking policy September 6, 2022

"A group of 24 Los Angeles County superintendents signed and sent a letter to the LA County Department of Public Health, requesting the department align with the State on its policy of 10-day indoor masking of close contacts with COVID-19.

Currently, LA County has a mandate in place requiring people who are in close contact with someone with COVID-19 to wear a highly protective mask around others for 10 days."

At Head Start, Masks Remain On, Despite C.D.C. Guidelines The New York Times September 7, 2022

"But in one of the few education programs the federal government directly oversees — Head Start preschools and child care centers for low-income families — mandatory masking rules are still on the books for teachers and children as young as 2-years-old.

That requirement is out of line with current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released last month, which recommend universal masking only if there is a high community transmission rate. "

Face masking for children - time to reconsider Journal of Infection September 25, 2022

"n conclusion, despite having the lowest risk of severe disease from SARS-CoV-2 infection, children have endured the most disproportionate disruption to their lives during their most formative years. We urgently need to return to first principles and focus on evidence-based interventions that help protect children, not only against COVID-19, but also against other infections. An obvious first step would be to improve educational settings to provide a safer environment for staff and children. Larger premises, smaller class sizes, cleaner environment, better ventilation and improved outdoor facilities will all help reduce the risk of infections in educational settings and keep children healthy. Other interventions, however, should only be implemented after proven objective evidence of clear benefit with minimal perceived or actual harms to children."

Lack of correlation between school mask mandates and paediatric COVID-19 cases in a large cohort Journal of Infection September 29, 2022

"In summary, expanding upon a widely cited CDC study, and employing the same methodology but with a larger, more representative dataset over a longer time period, we fail to find the same evidence that school mask mandates are associated with a reduction in county pediatric COVID-19 cases. We demonstrate how observational studies can be misleading when used to guide public health policy."

Mask mandates in schools: Premier’s Statement Alberta Canada October 29, 2022

""Our government will not permit any further masking mandates of children in Alberta’s K-12 education system. The detrimental effects of masking on the mental health, development and education of children in classroom settings is well understood, and we must turn the page on what has been an extremely difficult time for children, along with their parents and teachers."

Face coverings have little utility for young school-aged children BMJ Journals November 3, 2022

Child speech delays increase following lockdowns BBC News November 9, 2022

"The number of five and six year olds who need speech and language support at school has risen by 10% in England over the past year, BBC analysis shows.

The increase, which is substantially greater than previous years, is partly due to lockdown limiting social interactions, experts say. 

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists says the profession is struggling to cope with the demand."

Lifting Universal Masking in Schools — Covid-19 Incidence among Students and Staff NEJM Group November 9, 2022

"The decision in some school districts to sustain school masking policies longer may therefore reflect an understanding among parents and elected officials that structural racism is embedded in public policies and that policy decisions have the potential to rectify or reproduce health inequities."

About that new Boston mask study in the NEJM...November 10, 2022

"Like so many other mask studies, you could drive a truck through the holes in this mask study. 

Way back in May of 2020, the CDC did a systemic review of all extant randomized controlled trials of masks and other mitigations. They found no impact. Given this, they noted an urgent need to better understand transmission of respiratory illnesses. Instead of doing that work, and conducting real, randomized controlled trials of mask efficacy, the CDC and public health community continues to churn out one bad piece of science after another to justify their policies."

‘Masks reduce racism’ study is latest sign US medical establishment is insanely, perilously woke November 11, 2022

"No, what this study shows is that much of the medical establishment continues to be intensely woke — and deeply dishonest because of it. Just as the “experts” told us gathering in crowds wasn’t OK in spring of 2020, but just weeks later protesting for Black Lives Matter somehow was.

This dishonesty is going to hurt us all for a long time."

NONSENSICAL STUDY CLAIMS SCHOOL MASKING CAN STOP RACISM November 12, 2022

"While it might not seem that important, school administrators who read the Times now believe misinformation. Accepting this nonsense as evidence will undoubtedly lead to further masking policies.

It’s the danger of allowing “experts” to lie about masks, which they’ve done for two and a half years.

And based on the publicity their efforts receive, they’re going to keep right on going."

NEJM’s Disappointing Decision to Publish the Boston School Mask Study November 12, 2022

"If we are considering structural racism and educational inequalities, they also failed to weigh the known downsides of continued making of children. Beyond the obvious fact that children seeing their friends smile and understanding them and as vectors of disease have value, research in this topic has already found children with hearing impairment to have impaired word recognition in settings with mask wearing. Even children without hearing impairment have been found to have reduced word identification particularly in a noisy environment when the speaker is masked. Face masks also appear to impair recognition of emotions, trustworthiness and perceived closeness and may “undermine the success of our social interactions.” These are drawbacks that need to be weighed… covid is for most children a small threat at this point and very far from the largest threats they face to their health and wellbeing."

Masks Were Unethical by Design December 10, 2022

"It begs repeating, and with great emphasis, that every mask you have ever seen on a child is unregulated, untested, and unsafe, with zero efficacy, fit, term of wear, or medical clearance standards. Zero."

Lack of correlation between school mask mandates and paediatric COVID-19 cases in a large cohort December 2022

"The association between school mask mandates and cases did not persist in the extended sample."

A Season of Masks December 23, 2022

"“I think it's important for the public to understand that the highest quality studies we have, called randomized studies, have failed to find any significant benefit of cloth or surgical masks in this age group [adults 18-50] in terms of decreasing COVID-19 transmission (even the small amount of benefit of surgical masking identified among >50 years olds has been questioned and is highly uncertain). 

We also have randomized studies of masking including the use of N95s in health care workers for the prevention of influenza and these have also failed to identify a significant benefit in terms of disease transmission. 

Very high risk individuals may have a false sense of security or protection from infection from their own mask or others masking around them. Masking also comes with significant downsides including learning and communication difficulties for students and staff who are hard or hearing or deaf and for English language learners (for this reason, some consider mask mandates as "ableist" since they are discriminatory against those who find masked environments more difficult to learn and communicate in). 

Students who understand the scientific data well are also likely to become distrustful of authorities who are insisting they and their classmates mask when the highest quality scientific data and rational public health policy, which weighs known benefits with known and potential harms, do not support school masking for the prevention of COVID-19 or influenza.”

A letter from a Boston high school senior in opposition to school mask mandates December 29, 2022

..."the idea of children being forced to wear a mask, especially in 2023, is frankly dehumanizing. It is also unsanitary when you consider the fact that many people reuse the same masks constantly. In addition, multiple studies have outlined the harms that come with wearing face masks for extended periods of time. Finally, almost three years later, we need to consider the fact that natural immunity is prevalent, and live with the reality that this virus is here to stay...."

As US schools bring back mask mandates, do YOU think face coverings are justified? Vote here and tell us why...Daily Mail January 3, 2023

"Despite Covid infection rates plateauing for months, elementary and high schools in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania have made masks a condition of entry for students coming back from the holidays. 

And officials in New York City, Los Angeles and Washington state have begun recommending their use in indoor public spaces - but have stopped short of implementing mandates."

Urgency of Normal calls for an end to school mask mandates January 6, 2023

"Today, Urgency of Normal must once again sound a critical alarm to end ongoing pandemic restrictions and to instead maintain normalcy for children. After almost three years of one disruption after another, the data is clear: pandemic restrictions have not been proven to be effective and continue to take a tremendous toll on students, with the impact on learning and mental health being particularly unsettling."

Children forced into face masks after fears teachers might not show up The Telegraph January 7, 2023

"However, an internal Whitehall briefing note seen by The Telegraph reveals how seriously the Department for Education (DfE) took threats from unions over masks in the lead-up to the decision.

Teaching unions had warned that teachers would withhold their labour if they did not feel sufficiently protected in the workplace."

More US schools institute mask mandates as COVID cases rise January 9, 2023

"More schools across the United States are putting mask mandates in place as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.

Before winter break, districts in New Jersey and Pennsylvania announced they would temporarily be requiring masks among students and staff members amid a surge of respiratory illnesses.

Now schools in Massachusetts and Michigan are following suit while Chicago schools are asking students to take rapid tests before classes start."

Anxiety over ‘tripledemic’ has these LAUSD parents pleading for mask mandate LA Times January 16, 2023

"Not only do they remain deeply concerned about ongoing COVID school outbreaks, but rampant flu cases and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, have compounded their fears. Among many low-income or multifamily households, anxiety has been heightened during the return from winter break, as a contagious virus that enters their home threatens not only the health of their child but their financial stability and well-being.

Lopez and a group of Latino parents recently met on Zoom to air concerns and discuss a plan of action. The parents prepared demands to send to the superintendent and school board members, including a plea for mandatory masking for at least January. The group also asked the district to reestablish on-campus weekly coronavirus testing."

New meta-analysis should end discussion of mask mandates in schools February 1, 2023

"From the review: “Wearing masks in the community probably makes little or no difference to the outcome of laboratory-confirmed influenza/SARSCoV2 compared to not wearing masks.” The same was true for influenza-like illness (ILI). Hand hygiene showed a modest benefit. ...."

"Another important point made by the review is that “Harms [from masking] were rarely measured and poorly reported.” The authors call for higher-quality studies, but also point out the obvious fact that any potential efficacy of masking must be measured against the harms. Entire knowledge bases of early literacy and speech development highlight the importance of seeing human faces for young children, so logical harms of extended masking of both young children and their teachers can be assumed. This is one reason why the World Health Organization recommends against mask-wearing for children under 6. 

Indeed, children with visual impairment have been found to have delayed speech. A Harvard University poll showed that 40% of parents believe that wearing a mask was harmful to their child’s school experience. Another study showed that masks were disruptive to school-aged children’s ability to process human facial cues. Given the accumulating evidence of harms of masking, especially to young children, and the now-large number of randomized trials showing little to no benefit, all mask mandates in schools should be out of the question going forward."

Masking Children in the Name of Protection: The Dangers of Prolonged Use February 2, 2023

"As California considers bringing back mask mandates during any given upsurge of COVID-19 cases, be a firm voice in your child(ren)’s school and extracurriculars.

Attend school board meetings, consider elevating anti-masking Californian authorities like those mentioned here, write your legislators detailing the harms of masking your own children, and consider alternative schooling options for your child.

Use your smile often in public, especially toward masked children; a little kindness and human connection go a long way. Teach your children about their immune systems, because knowledge is power.

Demonstrate courage firsthand by not panicking in unmasked environments, so that your children can follow your example. Faces forward, friends!"

Face Masking is Harmful for Literacy Development February 28, 2023

"For babies to learn to speak, all they need is to hear and see people speaking. But for school kids to read and write, proprioception is indispensable. To start distinguishing sounds, kids need to feel themselves produce those sounds. They need to feel their own tongue, throat, lips and chin move. It's this feedback that helps the brain learn to associate sounds with written symbols.

Face masks not only muffle sounds and hide normal face movement, but they disrupt feedback from the mouth to the brain. Masks block the tongue from sticking out; they prevent the chin from moving all the way down; and they affect the delicate dance between inspiration and expiration while talking. They constantly rub against cheeks, sending mixed messages to the brain about speech motion.

As the pandemic and its restrictions slowly fade in the rearview mirror, it’s important to reflect on the decisions we took – not to attribute praise or blame, but to learn how to do better in the future. 

To my mind, it is undeniable that masking young children negatively affects development. Armed with this knowledge, here’s hoping for better decisions in the future."

The Harms of Masking - Part 2 April 12, 2023

"It is often crowed that mask wearing is a small sacrifice. But it wasn’t small for Lizzie. She was unable to communicate or connect with her peers and teachers. Which led to frustration and behavioral problems. The Dales were made to set up a behavioral assessment to “figure out what was wrong with Lizzie,” according to her mother. 

Besides her disability, there was nothing wrong with Lizzie other than the fact that she was forced to cover her face in an entirely ineffective manner, making communication close to impossible. 

It’s all so misguided and cruel to force a child who already struggles to learn and talk to wear a mask. Given that her mask was either slipping down under her nose, falling off of her ears or soaking wet (or all three) the forced masking was clearly ineffective. And yet, it was forced on this child. One can’t help but wonder if the cruelty was the point. 

No sane person could observe a 9-year-old with Down syndrome and watch her frustration with this barrier to communication and think: This is worth it. We must continue. And yet, that is exactly what happened. 

Lizzie’s speech therapist also wore a mask, albeit a clear one. The therapist assured the Dales that the clear frame on the mask allowed Lizzie to see her lips but the plastic fogged up and Lizzie struggled to see her therapists’ lips, leading to greater frustration. The Dales chose to discontinue speech therapy in 2021 because it was proving a waste of time."

Face masks’ lasting impact on children: a Hong Kong mother and son reveal his struggles, and experts give tips to help kids thrive post-pandemic April 15, 2023

"Dr Melissa Giglio, a clinical psychologist and director of the child development team at Central Health Medical Practice in Hong Kong, says that almost three years of continuous face covering has affected multiple areas of children’s development.

These include speech, attention and motor skills, and social and emotional development. She also says vision issues have arisen because children have spent so much time looking at screens."

Face mask recommendations in schools did not impact COVID-19 incidence among 10–12-year-olds in Finland – joinpoint regression analysis April 21, 2023 FINLAND

"Face mask recommendations in schools did not reduce COVID-19 incidence among 10–12-year-olds in Finland. "

The United States’ decision to mask children as young as 2 for COVID-19 has been extended into 2023 and beyond: The implications of this policy April 25, 2023

"As more high-quality studies accumulate that fail to show evidence of benefit, the required masking of children by the CDC has become even more difficult to justify. The US was already an international outlier by recommending masks for children down to 2 years of age, but continuing this policy despite diminishing disease severity in children and without confirmatory, high-quality evidence of benefits raises deep concerns about the US policy and scientific reasoning."

The CDC, AAP and public health officials need to tell parents to stop masking their kids July 18, 2023

"Its time these organizations actively put out statements saying that all healthy kids should never be masked. Otherwise, they risk a few parents continuing a harmful practice for years.

Masking kids was an error of judgment. At the very least, it is time for these organizations to reassure parents."

Mask mandates and COVID-19: A Re-analysis of the Boston school mask study July 22, 2023

"Conclusions: We fail to find any consistent notable negative relationship between school mask mandates and infection rates in the Greater Boston Area or state of Massachusetts during the 2021-2022 academic year."

EXCLUSIVE: 7-Year-Old Boy Sues California School District for Violations of Civil Rights July 24, 2023

"From September 2021 to June 2022, H.N. and his father informed the school principal multiple times that they did not consent to “experimental medical products like masking or COVID injections.”

H.N. stated that he does not like to wear a mask because the virus travels through the mask anyway, he cannot breathe well in the mask, he cannot see the facial expressions of his teachers and classmates when they wear masks, and there is a chance of bacteria getting trapped in the mask. In addition, he said that proper ventilation is superior to masks according to multiple studies.

But that was not enough, and he continued to be disciplined for not complying with school regulations.

The complaint mentions nine separate incidents in which H.N. refused to wear a mask and subsequently was isolated in a classroom by himself with a substitute teacher, taken to the principal’s office, or taken to classroom 34, which was used for storage at the time."

Reanalysis of Highly Influential Mask Study Shows Universal School Masking Did Not Lead to Fewer COVID-19 Cases July 28, 2023

"After reanalyzing the same data using multiple methodologies, including utilizing a larger statewide control group, researchers came to a strikingly different conclusion: Schools that dropped masking requirements experienced a 22 percent decrease in COVID-19 cases compared to a 12 percent decrease in masked districts.

Additionally, slightly higher case rates were observed in masked districts, and a “moderate to strong relationship” was found between natural immunity and case rates during the original study......"

"In a statement regarding the recently published preprint, epidemiologist and co-author Dr. Tracy Høeg said the causal inference drawn by the original paper that wearing masks prevented additional COVID-19 cases was inappropriate given the data they had. She and her colleagues showed districts that dropped masks first had the most significant decrease in cases, and as many as two-thirds of the variation in case rates could be attributed to natural immunity, not masks."

SVUSD considered calling CPS over boy’s pandemic protest August 4, 2023

"Court documents in a lawsuit brought by a 7-year-old Brook Knoll Elementary School student against the Scotts Valley Unified School District show the superintendent considered calling Child Protective Services (CPS) on the parents of the boy, who was protesting the District’s Covid-19 control measures...."

"District lawyer Mark Davis told the court Tuesday a trial in the case—which he characterized as about a boy who “refused to comply with District-issued policies on vaccination, testing, and mask-wearing, and crusaded against such policies through a series of acts and omissions”—might take four days."

Chronic Absenteeism Worse in States That Closed Schools Longer August 31, 2023

"Another interesting part of this paper’s analysis was the effect of mask mandates. The statistical analysis in the paper found that the mask mandates had no statistical effect on absenteeism at all. 

For all of the claims about how masks kept kids in school, the actual evidence contradicts that claim completely."

Even Biden flouts the CDC's debunked diktats - but bafflingly America's health elite continue to push it on our kids. Now two esteemed MEDICS make a passionate case that there's no evidence masks stop COVID September 9, 2023

"For make no mistake, masking is making a comeback as COVID cases tick up around the country.

This week, a school district in Maryland reinstated mask mandates for elementary school students exposed to COVID-positive classmates. The children will be compelled to cover their faces for 10 days.

A Hollywood studio temporarily re-implemented mask mandates, as did an Atlanta college, which also banned large gatherings on campus.

But why? We now know that masking for COVID doesn't work.

The sad reality is that Americans traumatized by the COVID pandemic are looking to the CDC for thoughtful, sincere guidance – but they're only receiving confusing, counterfactual gibberish in return."

Does equipoise exist for masking children for COVID-19? September 9, 2023

"A leading CDC official stated no randomized trials of masking were done in children due to a lack of equipoise, citing overwhelming benefits found in observational studies. However, the presence of widespread disagreement among experts, remaining ambiguity of evidence, with pooled randomized trials being negative, and the presence of recent and ongoing randomized investigations all support the presence of equipoise. At the same time, weighing the current high-quality evidence with known and potential harms [11], recommending masking for children goes against basic medical ethics. Currently, the onus lies with the public health agencies that continue to recommend masking children, especially when this can lead to mandates, to produce high-quality data to guide their recommendations rather than rely on low-quality observational data as if it were settled science."

Child mask mandates for COVID-19: a systematic review February 19, 2024

"Conclusions Real-world effectiveness of child mask mandates against SARS-CoV-2 transmission or infection has not been demonstrated with high-quality evidence. The current body of scientific data does not support masking children for protection against COVID-19."

Federal court dismisses case against Iowa governor’s ban on school mask mandates IOWA February 27, 2024

"Reynolds appealed, and the federal court’s ruling orders dismissal, saying those who brought the lawsuit didn’t have standing to sue the state over the law. While COVID-19 remains an “ever-present concern in society,” the court said, the general risks “are not enough to show ‘imminent and substantial’ harm for standing” since they are speculative.

The court also dismissed the claims saying they did not clearly establish a connection between Reynolds’ action – the law or its enforcement – and the alleged injury of enduring COVID-19 and its risks."

Face masks and protection against COVID-19 and other viral respiratory infections: Assessment of benefits and harms in children

September 6, 2024

"Mask mandates for children were implemented at schools and childcare centers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the US continues to recommend masking down to the age of two in certain settings. Medical interventions should be informed by high-quality evidence and consider the possibility of harm (i.e., include harm-benefit analyses). In this review, we weigh the existing evidence for the effectiveness of mask mandates to protect against COVID-19 and other viral respiratory infections and the harms associated with face mask wearing in children.

There is a lack of robust evidence of benefit from masking children to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2 or other respiratory viruses. The highest quality evidence available for masking children for COVID-19 or other viral respiratory infections has failed to find a beneficial impact against transmission. Mechanistic studies showing reduced viral transmission from use of face masks and respirators have not translated to real world effectiveness. Identified harms of masking include negative effects on communication and components of speech and language, ability to learn and comprehend, emotional and trust development, physical discomfort, and reduction in time and intensity of exercise.

Effectiveness of child masking has not been demonstrated, while documented harms of masking in children are diverse and non-negligible and should prompt careful reflection. Recommendations for masking children fail basic harm-benefit analyses."

School Mask Mandates and COVID-19: The Challenge of Using Difference-in-Differences Analysis of Observational Data to Estimate the Effectiveness of a Public Health Intervention October 8, 2024

"Alternate analyses yielded estimates consistent with a wide range of both negative and positive associations in COVID-19 case rates after removal of mask mandates. The findings highlight the challenges of using DiD analysis of ecological data to estimate the effectiveness of interventions in divergent intervention and control groups during rapidly changing circumstances."

COURT CASE

United States District Court Western District of Virginia March 23, 2022

"The public interest is served by permitting Plaintiffs’ school districts to consider whether

Plaintiffs’ individualized requests for some amount of masking constitute reasonable

modifications required by federal law, and supporting the public interests underlying the ADA

itself; and any state interest in enforcing its laws must yield to the federal interest to that limited

extent. Public health interests are also advanced by permitting Plaintiffs’ schools to consider

such requests."

Letters

Letter to the CDC from Industrial Hygienists February 22, 2022

Letter from CSBA California School Boards Association to Governor Newsom February 22, 2022

"Finally, as you’ve surely noticed, compliance with universal school masking rules is fraying in various parts of the state."

"Some school districts, prodded by their community, have expressed a desire — and in certain instances have taken action — to indicate they are no longer strictly enforcing the state’s mandate. Agitation has grown, stoked by the fact that masking restrictions have been softened or lifted in most areas of everyday life, yet remain in full force in California schools."

No Masking Letter Template LAUSD Fall 2022

School Board Policy

Newhall School District Mask Exemption and Enforcement Protocol December 6, 2022

Website

Do Masks Work? Are Kids at Risk?

REPORT

Department of Education United Kingdom Face Coverings in Schools November 2022

Book

Expressly Human: Decoding The Language of Emotion

"The answer, as evolutionary neurobiologist Mark Changizi and mathematician Tim Barber reveal, is that emotional expressions are our first and most important language—one that allows us, as social animals, to engage in highly sophisticated communications and negotiations."

Face Masks Hurt Kids

"This book includes:

• How to NEVER put a mask on your child, whether your child is six-months-old or 16-years-old
• How childhood masking promises your teenagers will not trust you when they need you most
• 181 reasons not to wear a mask
• 376 health problems caused by or exacerbated by masks
• 40 pages of scientific citations"

WITCH HUNT IN PURSUIT OF PHYSICIANS WRITING MEDICAL EXEMPTIONS FOR FACE COVERINGS IN CALIFORNIA

Dozens of Students Go Maskless with Medical Exemption From One Roseville Doctor

"“The mask exemption letter, the one we do provide, each every one of them is after careful clinical exam and given appropriately,” he said."

Medical Board says inappropriate mask exemptions may subject physicians to discipline

California Medical Association August 17, 2021

"“There are very few medical reasons and situations that would exempt an individual from masking requirements. It strains credulity to think that a single physician would have dozens or hundreds of patients with valid medical claims for such an exemption,” said CMA President Peter N. Bretan, Jr., M.D. “Unfortunately, we know there are bad actors who are willing to operate outside the accepted standards of care in order to turn a personal profit. This needs to stop.”"

Inappropriate Exemptions May Subject Physicians to Discipline

Medical Board of California August 18, 2021

"The Medical Board of California (Board) would like to inform licensees and the public that a physician who grants a mask or other exemption without conducting an appropriate prior exam and without a finding of a legitimate medical reason supporting such an exemption within the standard of care may be subjecting their license to disciplinary action. 

The Board encourages the public to file a complaint with the Board if they feel that a physician is granting mask exemptions inappropriately."

America's Frontline Industrial Hygienists & Multidisciplinary Support Summit VIDEOS August 26, 2022

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

NEW YORK

February 23, 2022 Attorney James Ostrowski answers detailed questions, and he shares a free legal template, to save parents money and help them start their lawsuit today! VIDEO NOTES SAMPLE LEGAL COMPLAINT

• Overview of legal efforts to sue school board supervisors in New York State.
• Discussion of legal strategies that can be used by parents everywhere.
• Overview of the free Complaint Template that parents everywhere can use.

Mr. Ostrowski is joined by Dr. Naomi Wolf, CEO of DailyClout.io and Craig Klein, DailyClout.io CRO.

New York School Boards asking Governor Cuomo for Immediate Relief from Mask Mandates for Students

Mohonasen Central School District Resolution Requesting Immediate Relief From Mask Mandate for Public School Students

WVCSD Board Letter to Governor Cuomo RE Mandatory Mask Guidance

Bellmore School District North Bellmore School District Merrick School District North Merrick School District Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District

List on Twitter of more New York School Board letters asking the Governor in New York for immediate relief from Mask Mandates for Students

The content of this site is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, legal advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Always seek the advice of an attorney for legal advice.