A group of concerned parents had children's face masks independently tested after they'd been worn for a typical school day. The startling results reveal a range of bacteria associated with pathogenicity, including 11 strains scientists described as "quite dangerous"

Evidence continues to mount that face masks are ineffective at stopping viral transmission. Yet, some have used the rationale that even if they protect against a stray droplet here or there, wearing them is worth it. The idea is that they cause no harm, only a minor inconvenience, so you're better of wearing one than not.

After the last year of media-induced fearmongering and panic, nearly three-quarters of Americans surveyed said they plan to continue wearing masks in public even after the pandemic officially ends.^[i]

The assumption that wearing a mask offers more benefit than risk is flawed, however -- particularly when it comes to children forced to wear them all day at school. Very little research has been done to determine the ill effects of long-term mask usage on children, and what has come back so far is concerning.

In addition to psychological and developmental effects, face masks are highly contaminated, according to a laboratory analysis of six children's masks.^[ii]

Disease-Causing Bacteria, Parasites and Fungi Detected on Masks

It should come as no surprise that a piece of cloth worn on a child's face for an entire school day ends up as a veritable petri dish of pathogens. Yet, a group of parents in Gainesville, Florida wanted verification. They collected six face masks, which were new or freshly laundered, then worn for five to eight hours by children aged 6 to 11 years during in-person schooling (one mask was worn by an adult).

As one parent, Amanda Donoho, noted, "We need to know what we are putting on the faces of our children each day. Masks provide a warm, moist environment for bacteria to grow."^[iii] Indeed, they do.

After the masks were sent to the University of Florida's Mass Spectrometry Research and Education Center for analysis, 83% turned out to be contaminated with 96 unique strains of biological contaminants -- 21 of them pathogenic and 33% contaminated with antibiotic-resistant strains. Eleven particularly dangerous pathogens were detected on the masks, which include the following (noted beside the diseases they're linked to):^[iv]

Bacteria on Masks Cause Everything From Pneumonia to Acne and Gum Disease

A wide variety of biological contaminants were detected on masks via the private investigation, including "slime molds" and bacteria linked to serious disease as well as less dangerous conditions. Half of the masks contained pneumonia-causing bacteria while one-third contained bacteria capable of causing meningitis.

Prophyromonas gingivalis, bacteria that can cause periodontal disease and gastrointestinal and respiratory infections, was also present, as was Rickettsia rickettsii, which causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The masks also contained bacteria that can cause strep throat, skin infections, acne and tuberculosis.

Only one virus was detected, but it wasn't SARS-CoV-2 -- it was alcelaphine herpesvirus 1, which causes a fatal disease in cows. You can view the full lab report on Rational Ground,^[v] which highlights the pathogenic contaminants detected. On page 5, you can read the scientists' comments noting:^[vi]

"Not all bacteria are harmful or pathogenic, and many are a natural part of the human flora on skin, saliva, or in the gut; and natural to the environment in soil and water. However, 21 pathogenic bacteria, were detected and highlighted in yellow. Some are quite dangerous."

The following table, from Rational Ground, also details the range of pathogens found on the face masks, along with their health risks:^[vii]

No Pathogens Found on T-Shirt Control

A logical question is whether or not other items carried with a child during a school day become similarly contaminated with pathogens. It turns out, however, that the masks were significantly more contaminated with dangerous pathogens than items used as controls in the study, including a t-shirt worn by a child at school and unworn masks.

No pathogens were found on the control items. The t-shirt only tested positive for skin, hair and soil proteins. In addition to pathogenic biological contaminants, hundreds of other proteins were also detected on the masks -- the majority of them human proteins from saliva and skin, along with yeast, marine bacteria and pathogens to livestock like goats, sheep and swine.

Of note on the used masks was also Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus, a type of bacteria that only grows in warm temperatures between 131 degrees F (55 degrees C) and 149 degrees F (65 degrees C), and requires carbon dioxide to grow.^[viii]

It's Time to Free Our Kids and Stand for Health Freedom

If you haven't had a chance to watch this moving presentation by Leila Centner, co-founder of Centner Academy in Miami, Florida, you can do so now. While school districts in states from Florida, Alabama, Wyoming and others have lifted mask mandates in schools,^[ix] many school districts across the U.S. are intending to make face masks mandatory again in the fall for the 2021-2022 school year -- despite the evidence showing that masking children is ineffective and dangerous to their health.

If you've ever wondered what's coming home on your child's face mask after a day at school, we now have some indication, and the results are alarming. Stand for Health Freedom, a nonprofit organization focused on protecting basic human rights, constitutional rights and parental rights, is taking a stand and has organized a campaign to lift COVID-19 restrictions in U.S. schools.

If you'd like to get involved, you can ask your governor to do so using this form.^[x] If you're involved with your local school board and department of education, you can even use this presentation,^[xi] which details the risks and adverse effects that COVID-19 protocols such as forced masking and social distancing have had on children, to support your request. As it stands, it's unfair to trial forced masking on children, who have very little to gain -- and much at risk -- from this unprecedented human experiment.