The United Faculty of Florida is demanding Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis impose a mask mandate on all of Florida’s colleges and universities.
The basis for the request is rooted in the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in July, which said everyone should wear masks indoors. The group called on the governor through a letter that said Florida’s colleges and universities should “follow CDC recommendations, including universal masking indoors and other common-sense measures, to limit severe illness and keep our colleges and universities open for learning.”
Despite the CDC’s recommendations and the insistence from the union, there are studies that indicate masks are ineffective regarding the prevention of the transmission of COVID-19 and its variants.
The University of Louisville published a study in May saying masks may be used as a “rallying symbol” for the pandemic, but masks were inconsequential, and the effects of wearing masks for prolonged periods of time could have adverse effects.
“Our findings do not support the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 transmission rates decrease with greater public mask use,” the study said.
The study continued by pointing out the potential adverse effects of mask use:
“Prolonged mask use (>4 hours per day) promotes facial alkalinization and inadvertently encourages dehydration, which in turn can enhance barrier breakdown and bacterial infection risk. British clinicians have reported masks to increase headaches and sweating and decrease cognitive precision. Survey bias notwithstanding, these sequelae are associated with medical errors. By obscuring nonverbal communication, masks interfere with social learning in children. Likewise, masks can distort verbal speech and remove visual cues to the detriment of individuals with hearing loss; clear face-shields improve visual integration, but there is a corresponding loss of sound quality.”
DeSantis has been insistent on not implementing mask mandates, lockdowns, or vaccine requirements and has had to issue letters to local school districts warning them of financial punishments for implementing mask mandates despite DeSantis’ mask mandate ban.
DeSantis has said if governmental bodies are going to infringe on the rights of Floridians regarding masks and COVID-related restrictions, he was going to stand in their way.
“If you’re trying to restrict people, impose mandates, if you’re trying to ruin their jobs and livelihood, and their small business, if you’re trying to lock people down, I’m standing in your way, and I’m standing for the people of Florida,” DeSantis said.
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Grant Holcomb is a reporter at the Florida Capital Star and The Star News Network. Follow Grant on Twitter and direct message tips.
Photo “Ron DeSantis” by Ron DeSantis, background photo by University of Louisville.
