"I only put it in a little bit, so she couldn't be quite as pregnant."

I don't think OP expected the responses but I agree with a smaller viral load and symptoms.

jwoodmd said:

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SociallyConditionedAg said:

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The problem with masks is that they increase the viral load of those already infected because they're breathing in their own exhaled air. Some of this is so obvious, yet we're still being forced to smother ourselves.

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No. Just no.

Some great mental gymnastics there.

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I'm sorry. Masks have done so well at eradicating COVID in Texas.

So, no mention of the mutation of d614g, the one that makes covid more contagious but less deadly? The mutation that virologists predicted would happen before it did, based on our experience with Sars and Mers?

He's right about viral load. He is likely wrong about masks, but tough to tell. But leaving out the mutation is ignoring the elephant in the room, and talking about the mouse.

Anything to try and justify these useless masks so their REAL function of spreading fear can continue

Maroon Dawn said:

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Anything to try and justify these useless masks so their REAL function of spreading fear can continue

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Agreed. What I find disgusting is the fact that people re-use the same, dirty, nasty masks over...and over...and over. That can't be healthy.

WoMD said:

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How might I expose myself to a low viral load of covid, giving me mild symptoms, thus creating immunity with minimal risk.

Hooray I just created the covid vaccine...

Give me funding!

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Thats the theory behind the attenuated vaccine. I believe one is on the way in addition to the mRNA vaccines.

barnyard1996 said:

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Doesn't HCQ help reduce viral load?

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no no!! Thats a a trump drug

Here is some science showing masks don't work. More studies are out, this is just a few I grabbed.


Review of the Medical Literature
Here are key anchor points to the extensive scientific literature that establishes that wearing surgical masks and respirators (e.g., "N95") does not reduce the risk of contracting a verified illness:

Jacobs, J. L. et al. (2009) "Use of surgical face masks to reduce the incidence of the common cold among health care workers in Japan: A randomized controlled trial," American Journal of Infection Control, Volume 37, Issue 5, 417 419. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19216002

N95-masked health-care workers (HCW) were significantly more likely to experience headaches. Face mask use in HCW was not demonstrated to provide benefit in terms of cold symptoms or getting colds.

Cowling, B. et al. (2010) "Face masks to prevent transmission of influenza virus: A systematic review," Epidemiology and Infection, 138(4), 449-456. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-infection/article/face-masks-to-prevent-transmission-of-influenza-virus-a-systematic- review/64D368496EBDE0AFCC6639CCC9D8BC05
None of the studies reviewed showed a benefit from wearing a mask, in either HCW or community members in households (H). See summary Tables 1 and 2 therein.

bin-Reza et al. (2012) "The use of masks and respirators to prevent transmission of influenza: a systematic review of the scientific evidence," Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 6(4), 257267. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1750-2659.2011.00307.x
"There were 17 eligible studies. None of the studies established a conclusive relationship between mask/respirator use and protection against influenza infection."

Smith, J.D. et al. (2016) "Effectiveness of N95 respirators versus surgical masks in protecting health care workers from acute respiratory infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis," CMAJ Mar 2016 https://www.cmaj.ca/content/188/8/567
"We identified six clinical studies . In the meta-analysis of the clinical studies, we found no significant difference between N95 respirators and surgical masks in associated risk of (a) laboratory-confirmed respiratory infection, (b) influenza-like illness, or (c) reported work-place absenteeism."

Offeddu, V. et al. (2017) "Effectiveness of Masks and Respirators Against Respiratory Infections in Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 65, Issue 11, 1 December 2017, Pages 19341942, https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/65/11/1934/4068747

Radonovich, L.J. et al. (2019) "N95 Respirators vs Medical Masks for Preventing Influenza Among Health Care Personnel: A Randomized Clinical Trial," JAMA. 2019; 322(9): 824833. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2749214

"Among 2862 randomized participants, 2371 completed the study and accounted for 5180 HCW-seasons. ... Among outpatient health care personnel, N95 respirators vs medical masks as worn by participants in this trial resulted in no significant difference in the incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza."

Long, Y. et al. (2020) "Effectiveness of N95 respirators versus surgical masks against influenza: A systematic review and meta-analysis," J Evid Based Med. 2020; 1- 9. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jebm.12381

"A total of six RCTs involving 9,171 participants were included. There were no statistically significant differences in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza, laboratory-confirmed respiratory viral infections, laboratory-confirmed respiratory infection, and influenza-like illness using N95 respirators and surgical masks. Meta-analysis indicated a protective effect of N95 respirators against laboratory-confirmed bacterial colonization (RR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.43-0.78). The use of N95 respirators compared with surgical masks is not associated with a lower risk of laboratory-confirmed influenza."

Conclusion Regarding That Masks Do Not Work

No RCT study with verified outcome shows a benefit for HCW or community members in households to wearing a mask or respirator. There is no such study. There are no exceptions.
Likewise, no study exists that shows a benefit from a broad policy to wear masks in public (more on this below).

Furthermore, if there were any benefit to wearing a mask, because of the blocking power against droplets and aerosol particles, then there should be more benefit from wearing a respirator (N95) compared to a surgical mask, yet several large meta-analyses, and all the RCT, prove that there is no such relative benefit.

Prune Tracy said:

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So that's like saying I'll only get AIDS-lite if I use a sock as a condom?

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EwingBarnes said:

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I don't think OP expected the responses but I agree with a smaller viral load and symptoms.

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I didn't expect it? I said explicitly in the OP that the body can naturally fight off lower exposure.

But if you have enough to overwhelm the natural defenses, you are infected. The argument then is are you infected a little or a lot. Which is ridiculous. Being infected "a little" results in the same amount of pathogen as being infected "a lot" within hours.

So you have the same type of pathogen, and the same amount of pathogen within hours...but in those few hours the body protects you from having a worse reaction? Snake oil.