The Case Against Masks


Book Description

Do we really need to wear masks? From the New York Times Bestselling authors of Plague of Corruption comes the must-read guide on masks and re-opening following the COVID-19 pandemic. THE CASE AGAINST MASKS is the book all America needs to be reading as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Written by New York Times bestselling authors Dr. Judy Mikovits and Kent Heckenlively, this book reviews the evidence for and against widespread public masking as provided by the Centers for Disease Control and the Mayo Clinic, as well as top scientific publications such as the New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet. This debate needs to take place without fear and paranoia. Important questions raised in this book are the affect of masks on oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, how SARS-CoV-2 spreads, the effectiveness of various types of masks, those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, and whether our children should go back to school in the fall, and if so, what measures they should take. The authors' previous book, PLAGUE OF CORRUPTION, was the runaway science bestseller of 2020, and the authors bring that same passion and attention to detail to the mask question. As politicians and bureaucrats of all stripes are weighing in on this question, with some placing their cities and states under mandatory masking provisions, we need to understand the science behind their decisions. Are such measures a reasonable response to current circumstances, or is it a dramatic overreach, which in many cases might make the situation even worse? America desperately needs this public conversation to take place with the best science we have available. As Americans have always done during difficult times, we must summon the courage to have these challenging conversations.




The Case for Masks


Book Description

The science behind wearing a mask to stop the spread of Coronavirus, from a top expert in the field. In America, the debate over whether or not masks should be worn to prevent the spread of COVID-19 has become enmeshed with political affiliation, views on religious and personal freedoms, and conflicting media reports on the benefits and dangers of facial coverings. But now, several months into this pandemic, what does science say? What have we learned from international case studies? Dr. Hashimoto, the chief medical officer who oversees the Workplace Health and Wellness division at Mass General Brigham, a Harvard Medical School affiliated healthcare system, presents the current research, making the case that wearing masks in public is a key part of saving lives and bringing this pandemic to a halt. Citing specific examples of situations where infected individuals wore masks versus ones who didn't and how that changed the outcome, as well as population-based studies in individual states and by country, and the undeniable effect that universal masking had on Mass Brigham Hospital's staff of 75,000, Dr. Hashimoto offers a clear and compelling argument for the benefits of masking. In addition, he explains the complementary roles of social distancing, washing hands, coronavirus testing, and face shields, and a thorough exploration of what kinds of masks are most effective at stopping the spread of viruses and how they should be fitted and worn. He addresses safety concerns and medical misconceptions about mask wearing, why the CDC didn't recommend universal mask wearing at the beginning of the pandemic, and how employers can promote mask wearing in their workplaces. Don't wear a mask just because someone told you to. Find out the real reasons for masking and understand the science for yourself.




Truth About Masks


Book Description

Do we really need to wear masks? From the New York Times Bestselling authors of Plague of Corruption comes the must-read guide on masks and re-opening following the COVID-19 pandemic. The Truth About Masks is the book all America needs to be reading as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. Written by New York Times bestselling authors Dr. Judy Mikovits and Kent Heckenlively, this book reviews the evidence for and against widespread public masking as provided by the Centers for Disease Control and the Mayo Clinic, as well as top scientific publications such as the New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet. This debate needs to take place without fear and paranoia. Important questions raised in this book are the effect of masks on oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, how COVID-19 spreads, the effectiveness of various types of masks, those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, and what measures should be taken by schools as children continue to return to in-person classes. The authors' previous book, Plague of Corruption, was the runaway science bestseller of 2020, and the authors bring that same passion and attention to detail to the mask question. As politicians and bureaucrats of all stripes are weighing in on this question, with some again placing their cities and states under mandatory masking provisions, we need to understand the science behind their decisions. Are such measures a reasonable response to current circumstances, or is it a dramatic overreach, which in many cases might make the situation even worse? America desperately needs this public conversation to take place with the best science we have available. As Americans have always done during difficult times, we must summon the courage to have these challenging conversations.




Plague of Corruption


Book Description

#1 on Amazon Charts, New York Times Bestseller, USA Today Bestseller—Over 100,000 Copies in Print! “Kent Heckenlively and Judy Mikovits are the new dynamic duo fighting corruption in science.” —Ben Garrison, America’s #1 political satirist Dr. Judy Mikovits is a modern-day Rosalind Franklin, a brilliant researcher shaking up the old boys’ club of science with her groundbreaking discoveries. And like many women who have trespassed into the world of men, she uncovered decades-old secrets that many would prefer to stay buried. From her doctoral thesis, which changed the treatment of HIV-AIDS, saving the lives of millions, including basketball great Magic Johnson, to her spectacular discovery of a new family of human retroviruses, and her latest research which points to a new golden age of health, Dr. Mikovits has always been on the leading edge of science. With the brilliant wit one might expect if Erin Brockovich had a doctorate in molecular biology, Dr. Mikovits has seen the best and worst of science. When she was part of the research community that turned HIV-AIDS from a fatal disease into a manageable one, she saw science at its best. But when her investigations questioned whether the use of animal tissue in medical research were unleashing devastating plagues of chronic diseases, such as autism and chronic fatigue syndrome, she saw science at its worst. If her suspicions are correct, we are looking at a complete realignment of scientific practices, including how we study and treat human disease. Recounting her nearly four decades in science, including her collaboration of more than thirty-five years with Dr. Frank Ruscetti, one of the founders of the field of human retrovirology, this is a behind the scenes look at the issues and egos which will determine the future health of humanity.




Masks


Book Description

"John Emigh and Lesley K. Ferris explore the role of masks in theater, whose roots lie in ritual performance. Cara McCarty looks at the ways in which masks are featured in the medium of film as well. But these artistic examples are not the only masks found in industrial societies. McCarty also discusses the proliferation of masks for physical protection, in areas such as military combat, sports competitions, and space exploration."--BOOK JACKET.




Plague


Book Description

On July 22, 2009, a special meeting was held with twenty-four leading scientists at the National Institutes of Health to discuss early findings that a newly discovered retrovirus was linked to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), prostate cancer, lymphoma, and eventually neurodevelopmental disorders in children. When Dr. Judy Mikovits finished her presentation the room was silent for a moment, then one of the scientists said, “Oh my God!” The resulting investigation would be like no other in science. For Dr. Mikovits, a twenty-year veteran of the National Cancer Institute, this was the midpoint of a five-year journey that would start with the founding of the Whittemore-Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease at the University of Nevada, Reno, and end with her as a witness for the federal government against her former employer, Harvey Whittemore, for illegal campaign contributions to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. On this journey Dr. Mikovits would face the scientific prejudices against CFS, wander into the minefield that is autism, and through it all struggle to maintain her faith in God and the profession to which she had dedicated her life. This is a story for anybody interested in the peril and promise of science at the very highest levels in our country.




Unmasked


Book Description

Masks have been a ubiquitous and oft-politicized aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Years of painstakingly organized pre-pandemic planning documents led public health experts to initially discourage the use of masks, or even insinuate that they could lead to increased rates of spread. Yet seemingly in a matter of days in spring 2020, leading infectious disease scientists and organizations reversed their previous positions and recommended masking as the key tool to slow the spread of COVID and dramatically reduce infections. Unmasked tells the story of how effective or ineffective masks and mask mandate policies were in impacting the trajectory of the pandemic throughout the world. Author Ian Miller covers the earliest days of the pandemic, from experts such as Dr. Anthony Fauci contradicting their previous statements and recommending masks as the most important policy intervention against the spread of COVID, to the months afterward as many locations around the globe mandated masks in nearly all public settings. With easy-to-understand charts and visual aids, along with detailed, clear explanations of the dramatic shift in policy and expectations, Unmasked makes the data-driven case that masks might not have achieved the goals that Fauci and other public health experts created.




Ending Plague


Book Description

"An engrossing exposé of scientific practice in America.” —KIRKUS REVIEWS From the authors of the New York Times bestselling Plague of Corruption comes the prescription on how to end the plague infecting our medical community. Ending Plague continues the New York Times bestselling team of Dr. Judy A. Mikovits and Kent Heckenlively with legendary scientist, Dr. Francis W. Ruscetti joining the conversation. Dr. Ruscetti is credited as one of the founding fathers of human retrovirology. In 1980, Dr. Ruscetti’s team isolated the first pathogenic human retrovirus, HTLV-1. Ruscetti would eventually go on to work for thirty-eight years at the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Ruscetti was deeply involved in performing some of the most critical HIV-AIDS research in the 1980s, pioneered discoveries in understanding the workings of the human immune system in the 1990s, isolating a new family of mouse leukemia viruses linked to chronic diseases in 2009, and offers his insights into the recent COVID-19 pandemic. In 1991, Ruscetti received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Ruscetti offers a true insider’s portrait of nearly four decades at the center of public health. His insights into the successes and failures of government science will be eye-opening to the general public. You will read never-before-revealed information about the personalities and arguments which have been kept from view behind the iron curtain of public health. Can we say our scientists are protecting us, or is another agenda at work? For most of his decades at the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Ruscetti has been in almost daily contact with his long-time collaborator, Dr. Mikovits, and their rich intellectual discussions will greatly add to our national discussion. Science involves a rigorous search for truth, and you will come to understand how science scholars are relentless in their quest for answers.




Reusability of Facemasks During an Influenza Pandemic


Book Description

Any strategy to cope with an influenza pandemic must be based on the knowledge and tools that are available at the time an epidemic may occur. In the near term, when we lack an adequate supply of vaccine and antiviral medication, strategies that rely on social distancing and physical barriers will be relatively more prominent as means to prevent spread of disease. The use of respirators and facemasks is one key part of a larger strategy to establish barriers and increase distance between infected and uninfected individuals. Respirators and facemasks may have a role in both clinical care and community settings. Reusability of Facemasks During an Influenza Pandemic: Facing the Flu answers a specific question about the role of respirators and facemasks to reduce the spread of flu: Can respirators and facemasks that are designed to be disposable be reused safely and effectively? The committee-assisted by outstanding staff-worked intensively to review the pertinent literature; consult with manufacturers, researchers, and medical specialists; and apply their expert judgment. This report offers findings and recommendations based on the evidence, pointing to actions that are appropriate now and to lines of research that can better inform future decisions.




First, Wear a Face Mask


Book Description

Stay safe and stay calm. A New York University microbiologist gives you the knowledge you need to protect yourself from COVID-19 and other common infectious diseases. With the spread of COVID-19, the world has never felt less safe. And with so much advice out there, it's hard to know whether you're taking the right precautions to stay safe. Don't panic: there are simple steps you can take to best protect yourself from infection. Professor of microbiology and pathology at NYU School of Medicine Dr. Philip M. Tierno Jr. cuts through the noise with to-the-point explanations, checklists, and best practices in this brief yet authoritative guide to protecting yourself from infectious diseases. First walking you through what germs are and how every infection happens, First, Wear a Face Mask offers calming, straightforward advice to address the ongoing spread of COVID-19 as well as the germs that imperil us every year. This practical approach will give you peace of mind as it helps you learn how to protect yourself in a variety of scenarios, from cooking at home to eating out, from your everyday commute to air travel. With tips and tidbits of history, he guides you through taking care of your home, kids, and pets. Dr. Tierno has more than 40 years of experience in the clinical and medical microbiology fields and recently appeared as an expert during the pandemic on CNN in conversation with Chris Cuomo and on Doctor Radio. And in this book, he distills his wide-ranging knowledge into actionable, digestible steps. Although there is no impenetrable shield to infection, there's a lot you can do to increase your odds of staying safe. Arm yourself with knowledge, keep calm and carry hand sanitizer.