RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – São Paulo City Hall again recommended the use of masks indoors and in schools. The measure was announced Wednesday, 1, after a meeting between technicians of the Municipal Health Secretariat and follows what was determined by the state. The recommendation is not mandatory, but an individual decision.
The decision takes into account the rise in the positivity of rapid antigen tests (TRAs) for Covid-19. During the 17th epidemiological week (April 24-30), the positivity rate was 4%, while on May 30 it was 18%.
Read also: New peer-reviewed study finds face mask usage correlates with higher death rates
According to Municipal Health Secretary Luiz Carlos Zamarco, the recommendation aims to protect the population during this period of a high number of positive cases of Covid-19.
“In addition to using the mask, it is important that the population completes its vaccination cycle. Both for the first cycle and for booster doses. Our posts are open daily and the vaccine is available to everyone,” he says.
This recommendation should be taken with caution, however, as a new study suggests that Covid mRNA vaccine interferes with antibody formation and compromises the immune system.
The study is based on data collected during Moderna’s randomized control trial of mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 from July 2020 to March 2021.
On Tuesday afternoon, the 31st, the Scientific Committee of the State of São Paulo recommended the use of masks indoors. Despite the state measure, municipalities have freedom of choice, as the Supreme Court (STF) has already ruled.
Since it is a recommendation, it has no punitive character and is not binding. Earlier, Health Minister Jean Gorinchteyn reiterated in an interview with radio station CBN that the recommendation does not mean a change in the law.
SÃO PAULO IS THE VICTIM OF A MYTH – THE MASK IS USELESS
A new peer-reviewed study published in Cureus Journal of Medical Science on April 19 titled ‘Correlation Between Mask Compliance and COVID-19 Outcomes in Europe’ has found that even widespread use of face masks did not correlate with better Covid-19 outcomes, based on data from 35 European countries encompassing a total of 602 million people.
The study noted that the average proportion of mask usage in the period investigated (October 2020 until March 2021) was 60.9% ± 19.9%.
Governments and advisory bodies often mandated wearing face masks in public spaces. In many areas, mandates or recommendations remain in place, despite the fact, the study notes, that randomized controlled trials from before and during the pandemic have failed to show a benefit to the wearing of such masks concerning virus transmission.
“Positive correlation between mask usage and cases was not statistically significant,” the study also found, “while the correlation between mask usage and deaths was positive and significant (rho = 0.351, p = 0.039).” That is to say, more mask usage correlated with a higher Covid-19 death rate.
Surprisingly, weak positive correlations were observed when mask compliance was plotted against morbidity (cases/million) or mortality (deaths/million) in each country.”