{"id":24097,"date":"2020-08-09T17:18:37","date_gmt":"2020-08-09T21:18:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/?p=24097"},"modified":"2020-08-09T17:18:37","modified_gmt":"2020-08-09T21:18:37","slug":"europes-top-health-officials-say-masks-arent-helpful-in-beating-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/?p=24097","title":{"rendered":"Europe\u2019s Top Health Officials Say Masks Aren\u2019t Helpful in Beating COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Jon Miltimore<\/p>\n

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Denmark boasts one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates in the world. As of August 4, the Danes have suffered 616 COVID-19 deaths,\u00a0according to<\/a>\u00a0figures from Johns Hopkins University.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s less\u00a0than one-third of the number of Danes who die from pneumonia or influenza<\/a>\u00a0in a given year.<\/p>\n

Despite this success, Danish leaders recently found themselves on the defensive. The reason is that Danes aren\u2019t wearing face masks, and local authorities for the most part aren\u2019t even recommending them.<\/p>\n

This prompted\u00a0Berlingske<\/em>, the country\u2019s oldest newspaper, to complain that Danes had positioned themselves \u201cto the right of Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole world is wearing face masks, even Donald Trump,\u201d\u00a0Berlingske\u00a0<\/em>pointed out<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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From left to right: Professor Henning Bundgaard, Tamara van Ark, Anders Tegnell | Composite image by FEE (Rigshospitalet, Wikimedia Commons)<\/em><\/p>\n

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This apparently did not sit well with Danish health officials. They responded by noting there is little conclusive evidence that face masks are an effective way to limit the spread of respiratory viruses.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll these countries recommending face masks haven\u2019t made their decisions based on new studies,\u201d said Henning Bundgaard, chief physician at Denmark\u2019s Rigshospitale,\u00a0according to<\/a>\u00a0Bloomberg News<\/em>. (Denmark has since\u00a0updated its guidelines<\/a>\u00a0to encourage, but not require, the use of masks on public transit where social distancing may not be possible.)<\/p>\n

Denmark is not alone.<\/p>\n

Despite a global stampede of mask-wearing,\u00a0data show<\/a>\u00a0that 80-90 percent of people in Finland and Holland say they \u201cnever\u201d wear masks when they go out, a sharp contrast to the 80-90 percent of people in Spain and Italy who say they \u201calways\u201d wear masks when they go out.<\/p>\n

Dutch public health officials recently explained why they\u2019re not recommending masks.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom a medical point of view, there is no evidence of a medical effect of wearing face masks, so we decided not to impose a national obligation,\u201d\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0Medical Care Minister Tamara van Ark.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Others, echoing statements similar to the US Surgeon General from early March, said masks could make individuals sicker and exacerbate the spread of the virus.<\/p>\n

\u201cFace masks in public places are not necessary, based on all the current evidence,\u201d\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0Coen Berends, spokesman for the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment. \u201cThere is no benefit and there may even be negative impact.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In Sweden, where COVID-19 deaths have\u00a0slowed to a crawl<\/a>, public health officials say they see \u201cno point\u201d in requiring individuals to wear masks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith numbers diminishing very quickly in Sweden, we see no point in wearing a face mask in Sweden, not even on public transport,\u201d\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0Anders Tegnell, Sweden\u2019s top infectious disease expert.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n