A handful of Colorado counties are ushering in mask mandates, despite studies indicating that cloth and surgical masks are not efficient at filtering exhaled aerosols and Dr. Anthony Fauci once dismissing masks as a “paranoid” tool.
Colorado’s Boulder County is one of the few counties in the state to bring back a mask mandate, months after the state lifted the rule. It brought back the mandate, masking toddlers and all those who are vaccinated, on Friday, September 3. San Miguel County also imposed a mask mandate, which went into effect Wednesday, September 1. That county’s order also applies to those two and older.
San Juan County, meanwhile, implemented a mask order last month, which went into effect Friday, August 13. The county is now under a mask “advisory.” Pitkin County is the most recent area to implement a mask mandate, requiring individuals two and older to wear a face covering while in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status. That went into effect on Thursday.
Currently, Colorado does not have a statewide mask mandate, but the state’s website states that “masks are only required in certain places for people who are not fully vaccinated.”
“However, fully vaccinated Coloradans may choose to protect themselves by wearing masks in public indoor places,” it continues.
The local mandates come as coronavirus cases spike in areas across the U.S., despite the widespread availability of vaccines and officials contending that masks slow the spread of the illness.
A University of Waterloo study released this year, however, found that surgical and cloth masks do little to block exhaled aerosols, ultimately providing little protection.
As Breitbart News reported:
“The results show that a standard surgical and three-ply cloth masks, which see current widespread use, filter at apparent efficiencies of only 12.4% and 9.8%, respectively,” the study concluded, noting that KN95 and N95 masks were far more effective at filtering out aerosols.
“Apparent efficiencies of 46.3% and 60.2% are found for KN95 and R95 masks, respectively, which are still notably lower than the verified 95% rated ideal efficiencies,” researchers continued in the data published last month prior to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reversing course, advising fully vaccinated individuals to wear masks if they are in high-risk areas.
Notably, Dr. Anthony Fauci two years ago, prior to the coronavirus pandemic, laughed off masks as a tool of the paranoid during an interview on The David Rubenstein Show:
“And the best way to prevent me from getting an infectious disease and having to have you as my doctor is what? Wearing a mask — ” he began, triggering a quick dismissal from Fauci.
“No, no, no,” Fauci said, letting out a laugh.
“I don’t need to do that,” Rubenstein said following Fauci’s reaction. “If somebody’s– I can see they’re getting ready to sneeze or cough, walk away?”
“You avoid all the paranoid aspects and do something positive,” Fauci responded, apparently categorizing mask-wearing as a tool of the paranoid.
Fauci added that “normal, low tech healthy things” are the best things an individual can do to stay healthy.
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