Rand Paul: Now That Masks Are Optional, We Must ‘Review’ Literature Showing Masks ‘to Be Ineffective’

 “Now that mask wearing on planes is voluntary and virtually everyone has voted not to wear masks, we need to review dispassionately the literature that overwhelmingly shows masks to be ineffective for aerosolized viral disease,” the senator said on Twitter, linking to a June 2020 piece titled, “Masks Don’t Work: A Review of Science Relevant to COVID-19 Social Policy.”

Now that mask wearing on planes is voluntary and virtually everyone has voted not to wear masks, we need to review dispassionately the literature that overwhelmingly shows masks to be ineffective for aerosolized viral disease.https://t.co/86mphMmyYB

— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) April 26, 2022

Indeed, studies show that cloth and drugstore masks are not effective at filtering aerosols, and even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eventually updated its guidance, admitting that cloth masks are the least effective.

Paul’s remarks follow a federal judge’s nixing of Biden’s federal mask mandate, although the Department of Justice is appealing the ruling with the CDC’s blessing.

“It is a happy day! No more masks!” Paul told reporters before going into the Nashville International Airport. “We’re seeing nothing but smiles here at the Nashville Airport.”

“People have been tired, sick and tired of wearing the masks. We’re ready to be free again, and thank goodness for a judge who was willing to make the right decision. And the administration is appealing it, but my hope is that we never have to do this again. Congress never gave permission to the CDC to pass this,” Paul continued.

“If you look at the medical studies on masks, what you find is they don’t work. Randomized, controlled studies in Denmark, thousands of people wore masks, thousands of people didn’t, no difference in the incidence of the disease,” Paul continued, also pointing to Florida.

“Half the school districts wore masks, half didn’t. No difference in incidence,” he added.