In time for Election Year 2024, masks are once more required at all 11 city-run hospitals, community health centers, and nursing homes as a precaution since cases of COVID-19, flu, and RSV slightly ticked upward.
There is a growing number of healthcare facilities in states bringing back the masks.
California, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Washington, Missouri (St. Louis), and Wisconsin — have also instituted mask mandates, according to recent reports.
Yet research now shows convincingly that masks make “little to no difference” in curbing the spread of flu- and COVID-like illnesses.
Indeed, today, all but the most diehard maskaholics admit the pandemic mask-up requirements were worse than useless.
For example, the Cochrane study found masks made little or no difference and had side effects in some people:
Ten studies took place in the community, and two studies were on healthcare workers. Compared with wearing no mask in the community studies only, wearing a mask may make little to no difference in how many people caught a flu-like illness/COVID-like illness (9 studies; 276,917 people) and probably makes little or no difference in how many people have flu/COVID confirmed by a laboratory test (6 studies; 13,919 people). Unwanted effects were rarely reported; discomfort was mentioned.
“Our priority is to protect our patients, staff, and the community, a city Health + Hospitals spokesman told The Post.
The mandates are in response to a rise in COVID-19 cases and influenza respiratory infections, although the current increase is minimal compared to the spikes seen during the pandemic.
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As of Jan. 1, 2024, the seven-day average of COVID cases in New York City was 2,131, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Although this is a slight uptick over previous weeks, it is far lower than the count two years ago on Jan. 1, 2022, when the seven-day average was 41,910 – nearly 20 times higher than today.
Resuming the masking mandate is seen as a way to protect medical workers from respiratory illnesses [even though studies show masks don’t work, and they wonder why we are suspicious], Ashwin Vasan, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said.
However, none of the city hospitals are currently overwhelmed with patients, Vasan added.
According to CDC data, some 44% of adults in the U.S. had received the flu vaccination by late December, and only an estimated 19% had received updated COVID-19 vaccinations as of early December.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., posted his response to the city of St. Louis issuing mask mandates for its workers on Jan. 5, calling the move “tyrannical.”
Here we go again…
This is another attempt by the city to enforce a tyrannical mask mandate, this time on their employees.
Individuals have a right to make their own decisions when it comes to wearing masks – I will continue to do everything in my power to fight COVID tyranny. https://t.co/gU9IQMb5v4
— Senator Eric Schmitt (@SenEricSchmitt) January 5, 2024
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, also weighed in on the issue of hospitals reinstating mandates.
“There is a large increase in hospitalizations from a combination of COVID and flu season starting to peak. RSV is contributing but has already peaked,” he told Fox News Digital.
Although Siegel has said he does not support universal mask mandates, he said they do “make some sense” in hospitals.
“Doctors and nurses generally know how to wear masks and are more likely to choose a high-grade mask, which is more effective,” he said.
“When treating hospitalized patients, all tools we have help decrease viral spread among the vulnerable and severely ill,” Siegel added.
It’s more hope than reality, or is it part of a plan?
Fauci destroyed lives and livelihoods with his lies. He supported lockdowns, mask and vaccine mandates. His hubris caused people to lose their jobs, their businesses. It resulted in isolation and loss of learning. He told people to avoid their families, church, school, work and… https://t.co/DVuj1sIIFR
— Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) January 7, 2024
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