Kindness Campaign to Stop Mask Meanness

The controversial WA State mask order is causing a lot of uncertainty and anger. Kindness and respect will go a long way as we navigate these unprecedented times. It’s impossible to know by looking at someone why they are not wearing a mask. There are many who qualify for an exemption based on medical needs, including those with anxiety disorders.

We encourage everyone to practice kindness to all, the masked and unmasked, and to research the science deeply. Below you will find printable materials you can share to help encourage kindness.

While ICWA does not support the wearing of masks by the general public as an effective or necessary measure, we do support everyone’s right to make fully informed personal decisions. And we encourage all who disagree with government orders to take appropriate action. Exercise and protect your freedom through your right to free speech, to file grievances, to peacefully assemble, and vote in the upcoming elections.

Remember that the WA State Constitution says:

Exemptions included in the order:

The Department of Health has a FAQ Page, which states:

Do masks prevent the spread of infection? A comprehensive reviews says no.

Please see full article for more information and citations. Note that the authors received a flood of responses and pressure after publication and have since updated their response, which is a careful balance between standing behind their original science-based position without encouraging people to disobey local mask orders.

Dr. Brosseau is a national expert on respiratory protection and infectious diseases and professor (retired), University of Illinois at Chicago.
Dr. Sietsema is also an expert on respiratory protection and an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“In response to the stream of misinformation and misunderstanding about the nature and role of masks and respirators as source control or personal protective equipment (PPE), we critically review the topic to inform ongoing COVID-19 decision-making that relies on science-based data and professional expertise.

As noted in a previous commentary, the limited data we have for COVID-19 strongly support the possibility that SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes COVID-19—is transmitted by inhalation of both droplets and aerosols near the source. It is also likely that people who are pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic throughout the duration of their infection are spreading the disease in this way.

Data lacking to recommend broad mask use

We do not recommend requiring the general public who do not have symptoms of COVID-19-like illness to routinely wear cloth or surgical masks because:

• • • There is no scientific evidence they are effective in reducing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission
    • Their use may result in those wearing the masks to relax other distancing efforts because they have a sense of protection
    • We need to preserve the supply of surgical masks for at-risk healthcare workers.

Sweeping mask recommendations—as many have proposed—will not reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission, as evidenced by the widespread practice of wearing such masks in Hubei province, China, before and during its mass COVID-19 transmission experience earlier this year. Our review of relevant studies indicates that cloth masks will be ineffective at preventing SARS-CoV-2 transmission, whether worn as source control or as PPE.”

Please see Schedule B from our Open Letter to Governor Inslee for more science and articles on masks.

Is SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID19 disease, spread through airborne particles, as suggested in a study now making the news? Investigative journalist Jeremy Hammond dove deep into the study and reports:

“A study claiming to show that SARS-CoV-2 spreads mainly via airborne transmission and that mask-wearing orders work is based on a fraudulent premise.” Read the in-depth article HERE.

The WA State DOH acknowledges that “most people who get COVID-19 will recover nicely.” The CDC data currently shows that 99.74% experience full recovery, some without even knowing they were infected. Since all the physical evidence shows that the public wearing cloth and surgical masks cannot prevent the spread of infection, Dr. Paul Thomas suggests that those who ARE susceptible to severe disease from exposure should consider protecting themselves from droplets with N95’s and face shields.  And of course, everyone should ensure they have adequate Vitamin D and other nutrients necessary for a healthy immune system.

More to Consider

The Great Mask Dilemna. Thanks to advocates around the nation for the below information.

• If kids aren’t spreading coronavirus, why are we putting masks on them?   https://bloom.bg/2WGxHe1 https://bit.ly/2CookJj
• If kids are less likely to catch it, why are we putting masks on them? https://n.pr/3hjh1RO
• There seems to be confusing double-speak in articles from The New York Times (and other popular media) stating conclusively that children can spread it…but there is no research that substantiates this claim. “While there has yet to be hard data to prove asymptomatic spread – transmitting the virus without displaying any symptoms … there’s nothing to suggest “the lack of symptoms doesn’t mean you don’t transmit it.”  https://bit.ly/2OLsEoh
• In the only study put forth by the CDC to support that children are spreading the virus, the numbers indicate that both age groups 0 to 10 and 11 to 20 each represent <1%  https://bit.ly/3fONIpY
• If masks work, then why did China’s outbreaks reach record highs? Asians have been wearing masks for years. https://bit.ly/2WGWz5q
• If masks work, then why are we having something called mask to mask transmission? https://bit.ly/32CRIpO AND https://bit.ly/3jxqKGj
• Americans are not even using N95 or surgical masks which have limited to some effectiveness in research.  We are mostly using cloth masks. A CDC report released Tuesday said that by early May, a survey estimated that about 76% of American adults who left the house in the week prior had used a cloth face covering: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6928e3.htm?s_cid=mm6928e3_w
• Is this ALL that the CDC has to substantiate face masks usage to stop transmission?  An observation at a hair salon with only 139 “subjects”  It doesn’t even distinguish which types of face masks were worn by the hair stylists who had symptoms? https://bit.ly/3hmQKCd
• This video sums up the questions about mask to mask transmission. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82CxNU8spMs
• You want to ask questions.  It’s normal, in the face of the evidence, to have questions.  But we have a new normal; a different normal.  The new normal is the fear of speaking out, the fear of the shame that is being directed at those who speak out and the censorship for doing so.  Leigh-Allyn Baker knows what is at risk if you ask questions.  Listen to her acknowledge that 1. she will likely not get work again in the acting world for speaking out and 2. she has received death wishes for her and her child for questioning masks. https://bit.ly/39dGauv
• We should be allowed to have our questions, to voice our concerns.  Have the mask conversation.  It’s time to come together on that which we can agree on. https://bit.ly/39nEn6c
• Current science indicates that school-aged children do not readily spread COVID19 among themselves or to adults and that infections in children tend to be much more mild than for adults. Here is one such study, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics: https://bit.ly/2OVreaS
• Watch two clips of Dr. Scott Atlas, former chief of Neuroradiology at Stanford University Medical Center and currently the Robert Wesson Senior Fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution and a member of its Working Group on Health Care Policy, explaining why schools can reopen safely without masks and strict distancing: https://bit.ly/39rESvZ and https://bit.ly/39okBaJ
• The Hospital for Sick Children, a world-renowned pediatric facility, has recommended against mask-wearing and strict social distancing for schools re-opening.Their research and guidance is found here: https://bit.ly/3hv4b2Y
• “Non-medical masks may reduce transmission from individuals who are shedding the virus. However, the extent of this benefit is unknown (especially in children) and would only be potentially beneficial if done properly. In fact, if worn incorrectly, it could lead to increased risk of infection and it is not practical for a child to wear a mask properly for the duration of a school day. It is noteworthy that several European countries have had children successfully return to school without face masks.
• Guidance statement(s): Non-medical and medical face masks are not required or recommended for children returning to school.” https://bit.ly/3hv4b2Y
• “[S]trict physical distancing should not be emphasized to children in the school setting as it is not practical and could cause significant psychological harm. Close interaction, such as playing and socializing is central to child development and should not be discouraged.” https://bit.ly/3hv4b2Y
• Would pediatricians send their own children back to school? Yes! In this NBC News interview, doctors’ enthusiasm for sending their own children back to school seemed to surprise the host. While the doctors recommend some distancing, better airflow in classrooms, and gym outside if possible, there was no recommendation of masking for elementary school children: https://nbcnews.to/2BrWBXw
• Are Masks Safe for Children to Wear All Day? The New England Journal of Medicine’s May 21, 2020, Perspective (https://bit.ly/2ORqzam) states, “We know that wearing a mask outside health care facilities offers little, if any, protection from infection.”
• Watch this important video of a father (investigative journalist Del Bigtree) and his 11-year old son, demonstrating how masks of various types far exceed OSHA safe levels for carbon dioxide after only a brief use: https://bit.ly/3hkg5g9 This would be an easy test for families and schools to replicate to determine safety of mask-wearing for students. This video should give every parent pause. Are schools equipped to handle health crises from prolonged mask wearing?
• In a June 2020 commentary in a leading Australian medical journal (https://bit.ly/3fZ5Jlk), researchers/practitioners from the University of Sydney noted that the U.S. masking recommendations are fear-driven (“the USA is in a desperate situation”) not science-based (because the evidence of protection is “scant”). They go on to recommend that medical professionals treating low risk patients not wear masks because it “may impede the normal caring relationship between patients, parents and staff.” Can’t the same be said of teachers and children?
• Finally, proper mask hygiene is not easy and most adults don’t do it correctly – increasing risks rather than lessening them: https://nyti.ms/2ZTT6m2 There are real concerns that children may do more harm than good in a school setting if they cannot properly use masks. See p. 5: https://bit.ly/3hv4b2Y
• Anthony Fauci – who has become the face of COVID 19 – makes all these mistakes with his mask. What this video and see everything you shouldn’t do with your mask:
  https://bit.ly/2WSmLdn
• Please read and consider signing these petitions to stop the Mandating of Masks. They pose health risks and most are ineffective in preventing the spread of infection.  https://bit.ly/3eQbgJL  AND https://bit.ly/2CQyUbU

Printable Postcards to encourage kindness and understanding