The Trends Journal has been reporting for months that Sweden, the only European country to not order a strict lockdown, has been showing one of the lowest death rates on the continent since June.
On 29 July, Sweden’s top epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell, publicly voiced skepticism that wearing masks is effective at controlling the spread of COVID-19. He pointed to the fact that countries like Spain and Belgium, which had strong mask-wearing mandates, were continuing to see rising numbers of cases and deaths.
The most recent data confirms Dr. Tegnell’s assertion. Last Thursday, Business Insider reported that “France and the UK set all-time records for daily coronavirus infections” and Spain experienced a record number of cases the day before. Those countries have various mask-wearing mandates imposed on their citizens.
On 31 August, Dr. Tegnell was quoted on the MedicalXpres website that there was a lack of scientific evidence to support mask wearing: “There are at least three heavyweight reports – from the World Health Organization, the ECDC [EU health agency] and The Lancet report that the WHO cites – which all state the scientific evidence is weak.”
More EU Countries Say “NO” to Masks
As reported on 6 August in the Fee Foundation for Economic Education, there are a number of European nations agreeing with Dr. Tengnell: “Europe’s Top Health Officials Say Masks Aren’t Helpful in Beating COVID-19.”
In Denmark, which has one of the lowest death rates from coronavirus in all of Europe (647 deaths as of last Thursday in a country of 5.8 million or 0.01 percent), Dr. Henning Bundgaard, a leading Danish cardiologist, said on 27 July, “All these countries recommending face masks haven’t made their decisions based on new studies.”
Currently, the Danish government encourages but doesn’t require wearing masks on public transit with crowded conditions where people can’t move about.
The Fee Foundation cites data from Statista.com on 28 June, showing that “80-90 percent of people in Finland and Holland say they ‘never’ wear masks when they go out, a sharp contrast to the 80-90 percent of people in Spain and Italy who say they ‘always’ wear masks when they go out.”
In the Netherlands, the Minister for Medical Care, Tamara van Ark, stated on 29 July, “Because from a medical perspective there is no proven effectiveness of masks, the Cabinet has decided that there will be no national obligation for wearing non-medical masks.”
The Dutch minister’s analysis was supported by the spokesperson for the country’s Public Health and the Environment, Coen Berends, who said on 1 August, “Face masks in public places are not necessary, based on all the current evidence.” The Netherlands has reported 6,328 deaths from coronavirus out of a population of 17.28 million or 0.036 percent.
The divide in Europe over mask wearing mandates is also reflected in the United States where according to Brinknews.com, as of 31 August, “More than half of the 50 states in the United States have enforced statewide mask mandates” despite no federal mandate.
Globally, more than 100 countries, over half the total in the world, still have mandatory mask wearing rules in place.
TRENDPOST: As the cover of this week’s Trends Journal clearly illustrates, the 2020 Presidential Reality Show® will be “MASKS VS. NO MASKS.”
In setting the stage for tonight’s presidential debate – and the election – the mainstream media in Joe Biden’s camp has flooded the airwaves with their select “experts” promoting the need to wear masks in public.
According to a newly released Washington Post poll, some 78 percent of their respondents support the government’s right to implement mask wearing mandates.
As we have detailed, President Trump has to win the swing states. To do so, he must bring out voters, many who did not turn out in the 2016 race, who are anti-lockdown/anti-maskers.
