(Governor, School Board, City Council, Pastor, etc),
I want to commend you for your hard work, concern, and efforts over the last year. It has not been an easy season to be an administrator and I regularly pray for our local leaders, pastors, and physicians- that God would give them wisdom and courage in this time. I recognize your efforts to keep children safe, and I know that most leaders are trying to do what they think is best. I want to challenge you to seek truth amongst adversity, and do what is best for the children of ------, Texas.
As a lifelong --------- resident, nurse of 12 years, and mother of 3 children, I implore you to remove the mask mandate in schools for our children and their teachers. It is an overreach of power, an assault on our human rights, and a grave danger to our kids. More importantly, it has been proven ineffective as we review a year’s worth of data between states and cities that have had mask mandates, lockdowns, etc. versus those that have not. COVID-19 will continue to follow a seasonal curve as it works through various populations, regardless of lockdowns, masking, and business closures. Continuing measures based on feelings and not facts is simply wrong.
Children have spent almost an entire year with coverings over their faces. They are participating in athletics with masks strapped over their noses and mouths. Children who have been abused, assaulted, and have mental health issues are spending 8 hours a day in masks. They are unable to see each other’s faces. They are unable to see the faces of their teachers. They are breathing in dangerous amounts of carbon dioxide. There are reports of collapse, lightheadedness, fatigue, and anxiety. We are on the wrong side of history, requiring children to live in masks while claiming they are resilient. It is inhumane.
It's not just the mask, temp check, health screen, and desk shield. It’s curbside drop off and 8 hours in the same classroom. It’s a hand washing schedule and the incessant cleaning of surfaces. It's a painful swab and another quarantine. It’s virtual learning, cancelled sports, and a parent free campus. It's masked teachers, distanced desks, and a year without performances. It's the appeasement of the local health department and added interventions to meet Texas Education Agency standards. It's a face covering for a hearing impaired, autistic, sexually abused, asthmatic, claustrophobic, or anxious child. It's a filthy cloth mask increasing the incidence of illness and infection in our children. It’s the long term psychosocial effects of not seeing the faces and emotions of other humans for an entire year and counting. While we do not have all the final data and consequences today, we will read about them in history books.
Cases of abuses and neglect are soaring. Childhood anxiety, depression, and panic attacks are being normalized. We’re witnessing record setting childhood suicides- children as young as 9 years old- any Pediatric ICU nurse in Texas will tell you the same. Self harm and eating disorders are on the rise. Childhood obesity and diabetes are growing exponentially. Child pornography and the online exploitation of children has spiked. The microbiomes of children are being destroyed, their immune systems weakened. We’ve broken their trust in ‘science’ and the understanding of what the word even means. We are witnessing the collapse of the mental health of a generation of children.
In-person school is the bare minimum. We have so far to go. The so-called cure is exponentially worse than the disease. It is discriminatory and cruel and we are standing by, watching it happen. By accepting this as our new normal, we set a precedent for our future. I’m not suggesting we throw all caution to the wind. I am highlighting that as we stack measure after measure without a second thought, it's wearing on our kids. It is time to reevaluate.
Children are being sacrificed to appease an irrational, fearful society that refuses to see the truth. The virus is real, but the narrative is not. The curve is unbothered by the abuse being done (see screenshots below). More importantly, kids aren’t driving the pandemic. History books will tell of this crime against humanity- of when we sacrificed a generation of children in the name of ‘loving others’ all the while ignoring the beloved science. Where are the coalitions and city task forces committed to repairing the physical and mental health of our children? Where are the research studies on the death toll caused by our interventions? The consequences of our complacency will last for years, far outlasting any virus.
COVID-19 is substantially less dangerous to children than the flu. They rarely transmit the virus to adults and most often present mild or asymptomatically. The literature is overflowing with proof that our obsessive, anxiety riddled interventions do not create different outcomes, transmission rates, or mortalities. Anytime I address temperature checks and masks and parent free campuses with our local schools, they tell me they have to follow these rules due to regulations set forth by TEA and the CDC. This must change. We need to follow evidence based medicine.
There is no evidence that masks are protecting children or teachers. Surface spread is not documented. Temperature checks do not decrease transmission or discover more than a tiny fraction of cases. These interventions are harmful. Our children need normalcy. They need to see their teacher’s faces. They need to have a normal Christmas program and perform with their parents in the audience. They need to sit with their desks facing each other. They need to sing. What has happened to evidence based medicine?
Please unmask our children. Please stand up for them. Please fight for them. What we are asking them to endure is wrong, and we are responsible if we allow it to continue.
I’ve worked in the hospital through a COVID surge and occasionally cared for COVID patients. I assure you- I see both sides. I know there are hard decisions to be made. I am praying for you- for wisdom, discernment, and courage as you make decisions and as you seek guidance from local officials. I have contacted them as well.
I am always available for a kind and respectful discussion. I would love to meet with you if you would like any further information. I understand this is a difficult decision. As a mother, nurse, and follower of Christ, I feel led to speak up. I will not stop speaking the truth into this issue- it’s so important.
I’ve listed a small portion of my references below. Thank you for your time,
Name, credentials
phone number
52 Resources to support the statements in the graphic below (credit: @OBusybody on Twitter):
https://twitter.com/wesbury/status/1367881664739819521?s=20
Sources:
‘Even mechanistic studies show that the way children wear masks would never have any impact on slowing viral transmission. RCTs show no impact for any group.’ (Emily_Burns_V on Twitter)
Un-masking Children: Part 2 of 4. Understanding Relative Risk (thesmileproject.global)
Un-masking Children: Part 4 of 4. An Action Plan. (thesmileproject.global)
Masks are neither effective nor safe:
https://pdmj.org/papers/masks_are_neither_effective_nor_safe/index.html
Part 1- Friable Mask Particulate and Lung Vulnerability:
https://pdmj.org/papers/masks_false_safety_and_real_dangers_part1/
Part 2- Microbial Challenges from Masks:
https://pdmj.org/papers/masks_false_safety_and_real_dangers_part2/
Part 3- Proposed Mechanisms by which masks increase risk of COVID 19:
https://pdmj.org/papers/masks_false_safety_and_real_dangers_part4/
Part 4- Hypoxia, Hypercapnia, and Physiological Effects:
https://pdmj.org/papers/masks_false_safety_and_real_dangers_part3/
Increased Incidence of Infection with Cloth Masks:
@Dr. Simon ツ) ‘Especially this study is highly interesting. It shows that surgical masks (especially when reused) contaminate the ambient air with bacteria and fungi significantly’.
And now imagine 30 children sitting in one room wearing masks. Pathogen party atmosphere.’
Maks for Children are not necessary:
Masks for all children aren't needed or ethical | TheHill
Effects of surgical and FFP2/N95 face masks on cardiopulmonary exercise capacity:
Effects of surgical and FFP2/N95 face masks on cardiopulmonary exercise capacity - PubMed (nih.gov)
Surge of Suicides:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/24/us/politics/student-suicides-nevada-coronavirus.html
CDC report- Increase in Abuse and Neglect:
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6949a1.htm
Limited Role of Asymptomatic Transmission: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2774102
Child and Teacher Morbidity in Sweden
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2026670
Non-detection on high touch surfaces: https://www.ajicjournal.org/article/S0196-6553(21)00007-9/fulltext?fbclid=IwAR2C3murEpXLahJQagGmsBzqaCCm5xvvboUrefAgMt0mgp2QfYVcCoLC_fo
High School Sports and COVID-19:
https://www.wissports.net/news_article/show/1129136
Low Covid Risk of In-Person School:
Worsening Obesity Pandemic:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/08/health/childhood-obesity-covid-19-pandemic-wellness/index.html
Online child exploitation and child pornography spiking
Online child exploitation reports are up during COVID-19 pandemic (usatoday.com)
Long term Impacts of School Closures and Lockdowns: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/16/coalition-of-child-experts-urge-inquiry-into-uks-covid-crisis
Increase in young people seeking mental help:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-youth-mental-health-covid-19-pandemic-2021-1.5875367
Abuse Referrals up 80%:
https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/uk-wales-55352968#click=https://t.co/BOX9Rzrx8n
German Study on Masked Children: Increase in 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%).
https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-124394/v1
Australian Court Overturns mask mandate in Schools:
https://www.courthousenews.com/austrian-court-overturns-virus-mask-mandate-in-schools/
Kids are not driving Outbreaks and Spread: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/12/kids-likely-not-driving-household-covid-19-outbreaks
Psych science behind a mask:
https://www.cugmhp.org/five-on-friday/why-a-mask-is-not-just-a-mask/
Psychosocial, biological, and immunological risks for children and pupils make long-term wearing of mouth masks difficult to maintain + 39 documented sources:
https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3021/rr-6
Kids, Schools, and Covid-Schools are not Superspreaders:
https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/kids-school-and-covid-19-what-we-know-and-what-we-don-t
Age-related differences in the clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection must be considered when evaluating children for COVID-19:
Low Death Rates:
Mild in Severity:
Hospitalizations and Mortality:
Asymptomatic/low transmission/not driving spread, ‘Although prioritizing the vaccination children against influenza has proved an effective tool in the reducing the spread of influenza virus in the community [10], our data suggest that a similar strategy would be unlikely to significantly decrease the household transmission of SARS-CoV-2’:
https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa1825/6024998
Minimal asymptomatic spread:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19802-w
COVID-19 Transmission and Children: The Child Is Not to Blame:
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/146/2/e2020004879
Dizziness, shortness of breath, and collapse:
https://training-conditioning.com/news/14-minnesota-kids-collapsed-wearing-masks-during-practice/
Are temperature checks helping?
Temperature checks:
Schools should not screen temperature or symptoms, says Hiqa (irishtimes.com)
Public Schools Should be Open:
https://www.medpagetoday.com/blogs/vinay-prasad/90658
The Educational Equity Crisis:
https://edpolicyinca.org/newsroom/covid-19-and-educational-equity-crisis
Carbon dioxide rebreathing in respiratory protective devices: influence of speech and work rate in full-face masks:
Mask-wearing at longer durations can impact thermoregulation and thermal stress:
Judicial Watch: Fauci Emails
Thread by @Emily_Burns_V on Thread Reader App – Thread Reader App
Conflating IFR (Infection Fatality Rate) with CFR (Case Fatality Rate). ‘Sampling bias in coronavirus mortality calculations led to a 10-fold increased mortality overestimation in March 11, 2020, US Congressional testimony. This bias most likely followed from information bias due to misclassifying a seasonal influenza IFR as a CFR, evident in a NEJM.org editorial.’
The Decimal Point that Blew Up the World – AIER
Are we going to address this?
Covid: CDC study finds about 78% of people hospitalized were overweight or obese (cnbc.com)
There is a wealth of information on the following Twitter accounts. They include epidemiologists, Harvard professors, and data analysts/math experts. I highly encourage you to follow them for in depth literature review, graphs proving mask effectiveness with data citations, and healthy debate!
@AlexBerenson
@justin_hart
@JordanSchachtel
@fatemperor
@EthicalSkeptic
@dockaurG
@Hold2LLC
@andrewbostom
@JamesTodaroMD
@SunetraGupta
@DrKellyVictory
@MLevitt_NP2013
@Mitch___Lowe
@ianmSC
@ballouxfrancios
@martinkulldorff
@drkristenw
@VPrasadMDMPH
@malkusm
@Emily_Burns_V