There is growing evidence to support the unmasking of New Jersey’s children.
- Masks mandates don’t reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in school.
- All teachers that want vaccinations have received them.
- Children are at very low risk from COVID-19.
- Children are less likely to transmit infection than adults.
- Masks are not benign mitigation approaches.
Below is a review of the evidence supporting each of these 5 points.
1. Mask mandates don’t reduce transmission in schools: COVID-19 Mitigation Practices and COVID-19 Rates in Schools: Report on Data from Florida, New York and Massachusetts
“We analyze data collected by the COVID-19 School Response Dashboard and focus on student density, ventilation upgrades, and masking. We find higher student COVID-19 rates in schools and districts with lower in-person density but no correlations in staff rates. Ventilation upgrades are correlated with lower rates in Florida but not in New York. We do not find any correlations with mask mandates.”
2. All teachers that want vaccinations have received them.
3. Children are at Very Low Risk from COVID-19: COVID-19 as the Leading Cause of Death in the United States | Cardiology | JAMA | JAMA Network
4. Children are less likely to transmit infection than adults:
Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children and Their Parents in Southwest Germany | Infectious Diseases | JAMA Pediatrics | JAMA Network
“The low seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in young children in this study may indicate that they do not play a key role in SARS-CoV-2 spreading during the current pandemic.”
“In this cross-sectional study, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection during a period of lockdown in southwest Germany was particularly low in children aged 1 to 10 years. Accordingly, it is unlikely that children have boosted the pandemic.”
Susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Children and Adolescents Compared With Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis | Adolescent Medicine | JAMA Pediatrics | JAMA Network
“In this systematic review and meta-analysis including 32 studies, children and adolescents younger than 20 years had 44% lower odds of secondary infection with SARS-CoV-2 compared with adults 20 years and older; this finding was most marked in those younger than 10 to 14 years.”
“Compared with adults, children with nasopharyngeal swabs that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were less likely to grow virus in culture, and had higher cycle thresholds and lower viral concentrations, suggesting that children are not the main drivers of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.”
Aerosol transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 by children and adults during the COVID‐19 pandemic – Moschovis – 2021 – Pediatric Pulmonology – Wiley Online Library
“These mechanisms have special relevance to transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by children. Though children can carry a SARS-CoV-2 viral load that is greater than that of adults and can transmit infection, they may be less efficient transmitters than adults. Young children have a simpler airway structure (fewer alveoli and terminal bronchioles), lower exhaled airspeed, and less airway collapse than older children and adults.”
Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Children: A Study of Contacts of Index Paediatric Cases in India | Journal of Tropical Pediatrics | Oxford Academic
“With regards to transmission, several studies have concluded that children transmit less compared to adults…despite adults staying with positive children in the same vehicle, same room in the quarantine centre and the same ward (without adequate PPE), most of the parents remained negative.”
“According to serological test results, the proportion of young children in our sample with SARS-CoV-2 infection was low. Intra-family transmission seemed more plausible than transmission within daycare centres. On the basis of these findings, there is no evidence for daycare centres being major foci of viral contagion. We did not find any evidence of SARS-CoV-2 transmission within daycare centres. Our results are in line with a previous report of very few cases of secondary SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a primary school setting in France.”
5. Masks Are Not Benign Mitigation Approaches:
A. General Adverse Effects of Masks:
Psychosocial, biological, and immunological risks for children and pupils make long-term wearing of mouth masks difficult to maintain | The BMJ
This rapid response considers some of the negative effects at the immunological and psychological level of mandating facemasks for children and adolescents and maintains that they outweigh the possible gains:
– Contamination of the upper respiratory tract by viruses and bacteria on the outside of medical face masks has been detected in several hospitals.
– A moist mask is a breeding ground for (antibiotic resistant) bacteria and fungi, which can undermine mucosal viral immunity.
– Many people report claustrophobic experiences and difficulty getting sufficient oxygen due to the increased resistance to inhaling and exhaling. This can lead to an increased heart rate, nausea, dizziness and headaches and several other symptoms.
– In an inquiry among Belgian students wearing mouth masks for one week, 16% reported skin problems and 7% sinusitis, also problems with eyes and headaches and fatigue were frequently mentioned.
– Face masking can provoke an increase in stress hormones with a negative impact on immune resilience in the long term.
– Facemasks prevent the mirroring of facial expressions, a process that facilitates empathetic connections and trust between pupils and teachers.
Is a Mask That Covers the Mouth and Nose Free from Undesirable Side Effects in Everyday Use and Free of Potential Hazards?
“The literature revealed relevant adverse effects of masks in numerous disciplines. In this paper, we refer to the psychological and physical deterioration as well as multiple symptoms described because of their consistent, recurrent and uniform presentation from different disciplines as a Mask-Induced Exhaustion Syndrome (MIES). We objectified evaluation evidenced changes in respiratory physiology of mask wearers with significant correlation of O2 drop and fatigue (/p/ < 0.05), a clustered co-occurrence of respiratory impairment and O2 drop (67%), N95 mask and CO2 rise (82%), N95 mask and O2 drop (72%), N95 mask and headache (60%), respiratory impairment and temperature rise (88%), but also temperature rise and moisture (100%) under the masks. Extended mask-wearing by the general population could lead to relevant effects and consequences in many medical fields.”
Corona children studies “Co-Ki”: First results of a Germany-wide registry on mouth and nose covering (mask) in children
“By 26 October 2020, a total of 20,353 people had taken part in the survey. The group of parents alone entered data on a total of 25,930 children. The average reported wearing time of masks was 270 min per day. Of the respondents 68% reported that children complained about impairments caused by wearing the mask. Side effects 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/fatigue (37%).”
B. Mask Contain Toxic Chemicals:
Danish companies forced to recall face masks treated with biocides | Dyes & Chemicals News “The Danish EPA’s chemicals inspectorate has ordered three companies to stop the sale of face coverings that have been treated with biocides.”
Face masks that contain graphene may pose health risks – Recalls and safety alerts
“Health Canada is advising Canadians not to use face masks that contain graphene because there is a potential that they could inhale graphene particles, which may pose health risks.”
Exclusive: Chemical cocktail found in face masks | Dyes & Chemicals News | News
“Top German scientists have found that wearing certain types of face masks for long periods of time could result in potentially hazardous chemicals and harmful micro-plastics being inhaled deep into human lungs.”
C. Mask Hinder Child Development:
Masks Can Be Detrimental to Babies’ Speech and Language Development – Scientific American
“Overall, the research to date demonstrates that the visible articulations that babies normally see when others are talking play a key role in their acquisition of communication skills. Research also shows that babies who lip-read more have better language skills when they’re older. If so, this suggests that masks probably hinder babies’ acquisition of speech and language.”
The implications of face masks for babies and families during the COVID-19 pandemic: A discussion paper
“Potential implications exist related to the normal development of bonding and connections with others.”
School masks: face coverings could damage children’s speech development, warn scientists
“School masks: face coverings could damage children’s speech development, warn scientists: Children’s Task and Finish Group report was endorsed by Sage on July 9”
Charities fear impact of masks on deaf children in UK schools | Coronavirus | The Guardian
The UK Department of Education states “We have always been clear that face coverings can have a negative impact on teaching and they should be avoided in the classroom. This is especially true when teaching children with hearing impairments or other additional needs who may rely on lip reading or facial expression to communicate.”