Why I Don’t Wear a Mask.

By: Arielle Bennett, FNP-BC, CFMP, CNE

As I sit down to explore the incredibly debated topic of mask wearing, I am in utter awe at what an incredible divide it has created and the intense passion that often fuels proponents on one side or the other. I have a hard time grasping why this subject dominates so many conversations and has the power to incite such emotion that the disagreement can even disunite long-standing relationships. If someone would have described this reality to me five years ago, I would’ve not been able to comprehend how we could reach such a place of complete communication breakdown. I have discussed this topic with many people, and have come to understand that most who support mask-wearing view those who do not as not only selfish, but often as conspiracy theorists who are endangering the lives of others due to their obvious inability to grasp reality. The dichotomy of this is that most people who choose not to wear a mask, including myself and many of my colleagues, choose not to do so because we have such a heartache for the current state of humanity that we refuse to participate in further bolstering unwarranted fear, even if it might make someone ‘feel’ more comfortable for a moment. Not to mention many of us aren’t able to wear a face covering due to medical concerns, religious reasons, and more. Our once proud and brave nation has been largely engulfed by such fear that it perpetuates a willingness to forgo common sense in the hope that we might be protected by the very systems that likely caused the danger in the first place. If divide and conquer was a goal, they are halfway there.

Let me be clear by stating that I am not saying that there is not a collection of symptoms that has been greatly highlighted throughout the world since early 2020. I realize and in no way diminish the fact that many lives have been damaged or lost to an illness and its mismanagement, and my heart breaks for all of us who have been adversely affected. This fact further infuriates me and ignites my passion to share truth. It also requires the willingness to be the one unmasked amongst a sea of masks, in hopes that the act might inspire someone else to be brave, ask questions, look deeper, and explore REAL solutions. Please understand that it is much easier and attractive to simply follow the collective opinion, and be the easy going, non-confrontational citizen who gets along with everyone; however, that is not who God created me to be. When starting my incredible journey at the DaSilva Institute close to a decade ago, I learned that to offer people true health and the ability to overcome disease, going “against the grain” is the only option. Did you know the U.S.A. spends the most money on healthcare when compared with other high-income countries, yet has the worst outcomes in the areas of life expectancy, chronic disease, suicide rates, and infant mortality 1? We must find a new approach because our current model is killing us. Unfortunately, the current model does make pharmaceutical companies, other big businesses, and special interests a lot of money which is why they work so hard to convince us of how good it is. For example, when you experience a symptom, the Dr. prescribes a pharmaceutical drug to suppress the symptom. This new medication now causes additional symptoms which requires more drugs and a repeat of the cycle. Why wouldn’t we try to look at the root cause of the symptom instead? But, back to the topic at hand…

When I encounter an outraged friend or stranger who spouts, “follow the science” in defense of their resentment towards my mask-less face, I know most of them firmly believe there is truth behind that statement. Unfortunately, there is not. We the People have been lied to! I began my healthcare career because I wanted to help people by positively impacting their lives and their health. If I, in any way, believed that I could protect someone else by simply placing a piece of cloth on my face, I would not hesitate; I have certainly sacrificed much more in my career. I, however, firmly believe as a healthcare provider, who is passionate about helping others, that it is my upmost duty to educate and be an example to my community in times like these. Wearing a mask would send the message that I believe it is protective/safe, whereas I actually believe it provides an un-founded, false sense of security and can even be harmful for many. The simple fact that the holes in even an N-95 mask are larger than 300 nanometers, whereas coronaviruses are 80-120 nanometers in size 2. This is like trying to turn a kitchen strainer into a life raft. A simple experiment is to walk by a campfire or a person smoking a cigarette with an N-95 mask and you will still smell the smoke. The average particle size in cigarette smoke is ~270 nanometers 3. Researchers from rationalground.com conducted studies evaluating differences in infection rates related to communities with or without mask mandates and found that states with mask mandates averaged 27 positive cases out of 100,000 per day while states without mask mandates only had 17 cases out of 100,000 per day 4. An interesting article that discusses meta-analyses regarding not only the ineffective nature of masks, but the multiple dangers related can be found here. Another important consideration is the supposed reasoning that supports masking healthy (non-symptomatic) people for the first time in history. The dreaded “asymptomatic transmission” which several studies, including one that followed close to 10 million subjects, found that 300 people had positive tests but were asymptomatic and 0 (ZERO) of the 1174 close contacts with them tested positive. Of these asymptomatic cases, ZERO virus cultures returned positive, meaning that these people, despite testing positive, had no actual virus in their system that could be spread to others 5. Wait…This study was completed in October 2020?! Shouldn’t this have been wonderful news to share to the people of the world?! Unfortunately, it contends with the ever so important narrative that there is actually reason to live in fear & turmoil. Thus, the findings were not shared by the mainstream media and often even censored by Big Tech companies which flagged them as “false information”. This should infuriate every person regardless of your background.

It’s also important to note that wearing a mask can be harmful for many people; not just for those with lung disease/disorders but also those with chronic diseases, auto-immune disorders, cancer, and more. Wearing a mask causes a restriction of oxygen exchange which increases acidity and cardiac load, not to mention the simple fact that bacteria, viruses, and other microbes build up inside the mask, increasing the risk of inhalation and illness 6. Many providers around the country have strongly suggested to their patients to not wear a mask, so who then transfers that right of practicing medicine to the store clerk, corporation, government body, big tech, or anyone else unfamiliar with the patient’s unique health status?

The bottom line is that mask wearing for the prevention of the Sars-COV2 virus has in no way been proven by science, thus trying to enforce/mandate the use of masks on healthy people is completely unsubstantiated and a dismal waste of time, energy, and health to argue over. Non-mask wearers are not out to harm anyone and in-fact, my goal is just the opposite, which is to help people live well and live free. Regardless of your beliefs of where or why this set of symptoms has spread throughout the world, we all should come together and be beacons of light and truth for those who need it. Let’s use our energy for the true good of humanity. And, as far as protecting yourself and others from any virus, take care of yourself and your immune system, optimize your vitamin D levels, and eat whole real food. If you get sick, stay home, get some fresh air and sunshine in your yard, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, wash your hands, and increase your vitamin C, zinc, and antioxidant levels. If you are at higher risk, there are many proven therapies available in the U.S.A. especially if you seek treatment early. 7

Americas Frontline Doctors. Treatments. https://americasfrontlinedoctors.org/treatments/

Becquemin, M, et al., (2007). Particle size in the smoke produced by six different types of cigarette.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17925666/

Horowitz: Comprehensive analysis of 50 states shows greater spread with mask mandates. https://www.theblaze.com/op-ed/horowitz-comprehensive-analysis-of-50-states-shows-greater-spread-with-mask-mandates

Kinoshita, R. et al., (2020). Containment, Contact Tracing and Asymptomatic Transmission of Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): A Modelling Study. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7600034/

Tcharkhtchi et al., 2021.An overview of filtration efficiency through the masks: Mechanisms of the aerosol’s penetration.  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452199X20301481

U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2019: Higher Spending, Worse Outcomes? https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2020/jan/us-health-care-global-perspective-2019

Resources to Help Push Back Against Forced Vaccination For Travel, Work, School, and More.