• • Dr Amitav Banerjee
  • 18 Apr 2023

  Take The Mask Off, Let Science Breathe Easy

  "Mass mask use propaganda influenced people in almost every walk of life, making them substitute evidence with emotion. To date, there is no robust scientific evidence that clearly shows masks stop the transmission of respiratory viruses."
  Author: Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD, Clinical Epidemiologist. Prof & Head, Community Medicine, Dr DY Patil Medical College, Pune, India.
  Disclaimer: link
  Conflict of interest: The author has no conflict of interest.
  

• • Mar 2022

  Are Face Masks Effective? The Evidence.

  Authors: (External link to collection of links)
  Disclaimer: link
  Conflict of interest: (External link to collection of links)
  

• • Bhaskaran Raman
  • National Herald, 17 Apr 2022

  Masks helped less, harmed more

  "Masks have been promoted under several assumptions: (A) droplet transmission; (B) asymptomatic transmission; (C) everyone is at threat from Covid-19; (D) immunity from natural exposure does not exist; and finally (E) there are no costs to everyone wearing masks everywhere."
  Each of these assumptions is wrong.
  Author: Bhaskaran Raman, Professor, Department of CSE, IIT Bombay
  Disclaimer: link
  Conflict of interest: The author has no conflict of interest.
  

• • Jie Han and Shanshan He
  • 01 Jan 2021

  Need for assessing the inhalation of micro(nano)plastic debris shed from masks, respirators, and home-made face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic

  "Respirable hazards such as micro(nano)plastics present in these may escalate from once an occupational hazard to a public health issue"
  Authors: Jie Han and Shanshan He
  Disclaimer: link
  Conflict of interest: "The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper."
  

• • Dr Amitav Banerjee
  • 08 Dec 2021

  Covid appropriate behaviour? Why masks can't be suitable in hot, humid climate

  "Viruses are very small particles, many times tinier than the pores of a mask, surgical or cloth. Even a high school student would know that masks would not work as filters for any virus. Therefore the advocacy for masks hinges on spread of droplets carrying the virus."
  "In hot humid conditions, they get wet with sweat and saliva within hours and the common citizen cannot afford the frequent change which is required to prevent infections with perhaps more lethal pathogens. Fungus including mucor can thrive on moist masks."
  Author: Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD, Clinical Epidemiologist. Prof & Head, Community Medicine, Dr DY Patil Medical College, Pune, India.
  Disclaimer: link
  Conflict of interest: The author has no conflict of interest.
  

• • Dr Amitav Banerjee
  • 23 Nov 2021

  Conflicting claims on efficacy of masks

  "Masks have been 80% effective in stopping the spread of coronavirus, says the CDC. Other medical researches show a more modest efficacy of 11% or no efficacy at all"
  Author: Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD, Clinical Epidemiologist. Prof & Head, Community Medicine, Dr DY Patil Medical College, Pune, India.
  Disclaimer: link
  Conflict of interest: The author has no conflict of interest.
  

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