Dear Editor:
I am writing another letter to the editor about the words published as a sidebar alongside my letter to the editor in the April 27th Goat.
The information in your sidebar was already included in my letter (i.e. the “three points”), where I also explained why the sidebar information does not change my conclusion that masks are ineffective in preventing the mask wearer from becoming infected. The sidebar makes no mention of these reasons—a misleading omission, in my view.
Your sidebar could be read as a claim that I had failed to consider something important, but I had considered this information as my letter explains.
Since I wrote the April 27th letter, there was a new mask study published based on the experience of 117,000 Welsh citizens. It showed that masks didn’t work. Covid infection rates were higher among the masked. In addition, those wearing masks had more deaths and higher health care usage.
I note that my letter contains two points in addition to the question of whether masks prevent the mask wearer from becoming infected: (1) wearing masks has adverse health effects on the wearer, and (2) widespread mask use creates a serious environmental problem.
Roger Beck
Tete Jaune, BC
