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Research Article
Corona children studies "Co-Ki": First results of a Germany-wide registry on mouth and nose covering (mask) in children
David Martin
University of Witten/Herdecke
Corresponding Author
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Declarations:
Declarations
- This study involved human subjects.
- The author confirmed that all appropriate ethical guidelines for the use of human subjects have been followed, any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee review has been obtained, and information about the IRB/ethics committee is included in the manuscript.
- The author has confirmed that all necessary patient/participant consent or assent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived. If the IRB/ethics committee waived the requirement for patient/participant consent or assent, an explanation for the waiver is included in the text.
- The author has confirmed that a statement listing potential conflicts of interest or lack thereof is included in the text.
The most recent version of this article is available here.
View Research Highlight
Research Highlight
created by Research Square
Background: The use of masks, together with other precautionary measures, significantly reduces the spread of COVID-19 infection; however, the effects of masks on children have not been widely studied.
Methods: The attitudes and observations of parents, doctors, and educators regarding the effects of mask-wearing on children and adolescents were collected using an online registry. Analyses focused on the responses of parents, the majority (87.7%) of study respondents.
Results: The majority of respondents (>65%) indicated that children complained of impairments and that they directly observed impairments in children that they attributed to wearing masks. Symptoms reported by respondents included physical (rashes, headaches, etc.), mental (fears, irritability, etc.) and intellectual (concentration and learning) impairments. Most respondents (73.3%) indicated some level of disagreement with existing mask guidelines.
Conclusions and Limitations: As measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 continue to be implemented, more research is needed to assess the risks and benefits of mask wearing in children. The limitations of this study include potential sampling bias, reporting bias, and confounding bias as well as lack of a control group.
View Research Highlight
Background: Narratives about complaints in children and adolescents caused by wearing a mask are accumulating. There is, to date, no registry for side effects of masks.
Methods: At the University of Witten/Herdecke an online registry has been set up where parents, doctors, pedagogues and others can enter their observations. On 20.10.2020, 363 doctors were asked to make entries and to make parents and teachers aware of the registry.
Results: By 26.10.2020 the registry had been used by 20,353 people. In this publication we report the results from the parents, who entered data on a total of 25,930 children. The average wearing time of the mask was 270 minutes per day. Impairments caused by wearing the mask were reported by 68% of the parents. These included irritability (60%), headache (53%), difficulty concentrating (50%), less happiness (49%), reluctance to go to school/kindergarten (44%), malaise (42%) impaired learning (38%) and drowsiness or fatigue (37%).
Discussion: This world's first registry for recording the effects of wearing masks in children is dedicated to a new research question. The frequency of the registry’s use and the spectrum of symptoms registryed indicate the importance of the topic and call for representative surveys, randomized controlled trials with various masks and a renewed risk-benefit assessment for the vulnerable group of children: adults need to collecticely reflect the circumstances under which they would be willing to take a residual risk upon themselves in favor of enabling children to have a higher quality of life without having to wear a mask.
Keywords
Mouth and nose protection, community masks, mask obligation, pediatrics, COVID-19
Figure 1
Anton K
commented on 03 January, 2021
Please note there is an error in the column headings of Table 2. It says "Total Age group" for all groups, but should be broken up by ages (like other tables). Also there seem to be a typo in Table 1. One of the genders is described as "Divers". Do you mean "Diverse"? Or something else?
Joseph L. Bourgault
commented on 04 January, 2021
I am President of a Manufacturing Company in Saskatchewan, Canada. Under Saskatchewan Occupational Health & Safety Rules it is illegal for me to expose any of my Employees to a Hazardous Environment, above 1,500 ppm CO2 levels (Atmospheric is 375 to 400 ppm), or below 19.5% Oxygen levels (Atmospheric Oxygen is 20.9%). OSHA Safety Officers have measured Oxygen levels at 17.4% behind an N95 mask with an IBRID 6 Gas Monitor. Del Bigtree, Medical Research Journalist measured CO2 levels between 8,000 to 10,000 ppm behind a cloth mask and over 10,000 ppm behind an N95 mask which is Hazardous Environment! OSHA Experts have openly reported that face masks are hazardous to the health of those wearing them, but are rountinely ignored by Governments around the world who passed these OSHA Laws based on 50 plus years of scientific research. Since when are Governments exempt from following the laws they legislate? Dr. Russell Blaylock, a neurosurgeon explains that low oxygen levels cause hypoxia, and can damage the immune system lowering T-lymphocytes that fight viral infections. Cloth masks filter at best to 5 micron, the covid-19 virus is reported to be .06 to .12 micron. In other words the openings in a cloth mask are 50 to 100 times larger than the covid-19 virus. Imagine a screen door with opening 50 to 100 times larger than a mosquito, how would that keep the mosquitoes out the house! Truth does not matter in this 2020-2021 World run by; W.H.O. & Bill Gates, the U.N. Agenda 2030, and their plans to reduce the world's population, e.g. Georgia Guidestones erected in 1981 by wealthy people. Political Leaders around the world have either been paid off or black mailed or lack the intelligence, wisdom and courage to do what is right and to Stand Up for Scientific Truths that the President of Manufacturing Company understand is 100% Wrong in what we are doing to our children! I pray God will have mercy on the souls of all the cowards around the World who know better but do nothing to stop this insanity! As honest Abraham Lincoln would say: "Stand with any man when he stands right and apart from him when he is wrong." I know where I am standing! The question is where are those who know what is happening standing? Thank you for publishing this Study! I am very grateful to those who have organized this Scientific Study to shed further light on these "crimes against our children" and "crimes against ignorant unsuspecting adults" who are supposed to be protecting the children around world and who are blindly trust corrupted Governments. May God bless you and keep you! Sincerely, Joseph L. Bourgault, Truth Seeker & Saskatchewan Order of Merit Recipient, 2011
View 6 replies
ferte
commented on 04 January, 2021
IMHO,madatory masks is made to create FEAR,SO it´s a good deal for politicians and so on...
Kristen Meghan
commented on 04 January, 2021
I am a Senior Industrial Hygienist of 18 years. We are the SMEs in Respiratory Protection. I have managed the Respiratory Protection Program for over 76K employees. There is not one single study showing that the wide variety of face masks are safe for use, especially prolonged use. I will simply put that if I ever put the public or employees in face masks that are not ready to protect against the hazard at hand, I would lose my job and be fined. The United States is violating it's very own OSHA laws and the institution has been weaponized by politicians. These masks are about policy, not science. None of these face masks are rated to protect against this virus in either direction. We are dealing with censorship and no one is getting the truth about these masks. The WHO stated, in March, that these masks can cause infections if they're not utilized properly. Throughout my career, I have seen bacterial infections from people who were not washing or changing out their respirators or masks, as required. The CDC recently said that masks cannot cause bacterial infections. As a subject matter expert, I know this is completely false. I did a video about it and YouTube took it down and gave me a strike on my channel. I am unsure why some 22-year-old can fact check me and tell me I'm not allowed to say anything that goes against the CDC, but the CDC is going against the WHO. WHAT MAKES US EVEN WORSE, IS THAT THESE MASKS ARE IN FACT PPE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW IN 29 CFR 1910.132 it says if anyone were to bring a homemade or DIY form of PPE into the workplace, it is up to the employee to ensure that that PPE is rated to protect them against the hazard it is being worn for. The amount of contradictions are astounding. PPE is supposed to be a last resort, but we've made it the first line of defense. These face masks are not only hazardous to human health, but they actually make people violate social distancing and stand closer together. This false sense of illusion is causing more issues like self-contamination and cross-contamination.
View 2 replies
Kim B
replied on 04 January, 2021
Thank you!
Jessie
replied on 04 January, 2021
I'm a registered nurse. I've utilized PPE my entire career, but NEVER like this. Wearing a surgical droplet mask for 13 hours a day while at work, then having to wear the cloth mask when out to the store and such, I did develop a bacterial infection! I always wash my cloth masks and use a new one daily. But I ended up with a nasty skin infection that wouldn't go away with "home treatments" for over a week. I ended up on a round of 7 days worth of systemic antibiotics, 4 times a day! All because of excessive mask use.
Raymond Towers
commented on 04 January, 2021
Thank you.
Ellen Lewers
commented on 04 January, 2021
Children learn from adults and their peers by full facial Expressions. Languages are learned by watching all of the words being formed with mouth ,tongue. The frustration children and adults are having trying to understand words and expression are horribly frustrating and cause anxiousness in children and exhaustion. Stop the masks. We are destroying civilization.
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This is a preprint. It has not completed peer review.
Research Article
Corona children studies "Co-Ki": First results of a Germany-wide registry on mouth and nose covering (mask) in children
David Martin
University of Witten/Herdecke
Corresponding Author
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
History
CURRENT STATUS: Posted
Community comments: 14
Version 1
Posted 18 Dec, 2020
Community comments: 16
Metrics
Comments: 16
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Subject Areas
General Practice
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Declarations:
Declarations
- This study involved human subjects.
- The author confirmed that all appropriate ethical guidelines for the use of human subjects have been followed, any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee review has been obtained, and information about the IRB/ethics committee is included in the manuscript.
- The author has confirmed that all necessary patient/participant consent or assent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived. If the IRB/ethics committee waived the requirement for patient/participant consent or assent, an explanation for the waiver is included in the text.
- The author has confirmed that a statement listing potential conflicts of interest or lack thereof is included in the text.
The most recent version of this article is available here.
View Research Highlight
Research Highlight
created by Research Square
Background: The use of masks, together with other precautionary measures, significantly reduces the spread of COVID-19 infection; however, the effects of masks on children have not been widely studied.
Methods: The attitudes and observations of parents, doctors, and educators regarding the effects of mask-wearing on children and adolescents were collected using an online registry. Analyses focused on the responses of parents, the majority (87.7%) of study respondents.
Results: The majority of respondents (>65%) indicated that children complained of impairments and that they directly observed impairments in children that they attributed to wearing masks. Symptoms reported by respondents included physical (rashes, headaches, etc.), mental (fears, irritability, etc.) and intellectual (concentration and learning) impairments. Most respondents (73.3%) indicated some level of disagreement with existing mask guidelines.
Conclusions and Limitations: As measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 continue to be implemented, more research is needed to assess the risks and benefits of mask wearing in children. The limitations of this study include potential sampling bias, reporting bias, and confounding bias as well as lack of a control group.
View Research Highlight
Background: Narratives about complaints in children and adolescents caused by wearing a mask are accumulating. There is, to date, no registry for side effects of masks.
Methods: At the University of Witten/Herdecke an online registry has been set up where parents, doctors, pedagogues and others can enter their observations. On 20.10.2020, 363 doctors were asked to make entries and to make parents and teachers aware of the registry.
Results: By 26.10.2020 the registry had been used by 20,353 people. In this publication we report the results from the parents, who entered data on a total of 25,930 children. The average wearing time of the mask was 270 minutes per day. Impairments caused by wearing the mask were reported by 68% of the parents. These included irritability (60%), headache (53%), difficulty concentrating (50%), less happiness (49%), reluctance to go to school/kindergarten (44%), malaise (42%) impaired learning (38%) and drowsiness or fatigue (37%).
Discussion: This world's first registry for recording the effects of wearing masks in children is dedicated to a new research question. The frequency of the registry’s use and the spectrum of symptoms registryed indicate the importance of the topic and call for representative surveys, randomized controlled trials with various masks and a renewed risk-benefit assessment for the vulnerable group of children: adults need to collecticely reflect the circumstances under which they would be willing to take a residual risk upon themselves in favor of enabling children to have a higher quality of life without having to wear a mask.
Figure 1
Anton K
commented on 03 January, 2021
Please note there is an error in the column headings of Table 2. It says "Total Age group" for all groups, but should be broken up by ages (like other tables). Also there seem to be a typo in Table 1. One of the genders is described as "Divers". Do you mean "Diverse"? Or something else?
Joseph L. Bourgault
commented on 04 January, 2021
I am President of a Manufacturing Company in Saskatchewan, Canada. Under Saskatchewan Occupational Health & Safety Rules it is illegal for me to expose any of my Employees to a Hazardous Environment, above 1,500 ppm CO2 levels (Atmospheric is 375 to 400 ppm), or below 19.5% Oxygen levels (Atmospheric Oxygen is 20.9%). OSHA Safety Officers have measured Oxygen levels at 17.4% behind an N95 mask with an IBRID 6 Gas Monitor. Del Bigtree, Medical Research Journalist measured CO2 levels between 8,000 to 10,000 ppm behind a cloth mask and over 10,000 ppm behind an N95 mask which is Hazardous Environment! OSHA Experts have openly reported that face masks are hazardous to the health of those wearing them, but are rountinely ignored by Governments around the world who passed these OSHA Laws based on 50 plus years of scientific research. Since when are Governments exempt from following the laws they legislate? Dr. Russell Blaylock, a neurosurgeon explains that low oxygen levels cause hypoxia, and can damage the immune system lowering T-lymphocytes that fight viral infections. Cloth masks filter at best to 5 micron, the covid-19 virus is reported to be .06 to .12 micron. In other words the openings in a cloth mask are 50 to 100 times larger than the covid-19 virus. Imagine a screen door with opening 50 to 100 times larger than a mosquito, how would that keep the mosquitoes out the house! Truth does not matter in this 2020-2021 World run by; W.H.O. & Bill Gates, the U.N. Agenda 2030, and their plans to reduce the world's population, e.g. Georgia Guidestones erected in 1981 by wealthy people. Political Leaders around the world have either been paid off or black mailed or lack the intelligence, wisdom and courage to do what is right and to Stand Up for Scientific Truths that the President of Manufacturing Company understand is 100% Wrong in what we are doing to our children! I pray God will have mercy on the souls of all the cowards around the World who know better but do nothing to stop this insanity! As honest Abraham Lincoln would say: "Stand with any man when he stands right and apart from him when he is wrong." I know where I am standing! The question is where are those who know what is happening standing? Thank you for publishing this Study! I am very grateful to those who have organized this Scientific Study to shed further light on these "crimes against our children" and "crimes against ignorant unsuspecting adults" who are supposed to be protecting the children around world and who are blindly trust corrupted Governments. May God bless you and keep you! Sincerely, Joseph L. Bourgault, Truth Seeker & Saskatchewan Order of Merit Recipient, 2011
View 6 replies
Andrew David Boyle
replied on 04 January, 2021
You are right OSHA experts are just ignored. Risk assessment? There has never been one for mask wearing en masse. Check out the work of Denis Rancourt on masks if you have not done so already. Best wishes :-)
BJ
replied on 04 January, 2021
Thank you for providing scientific data against the compulsory mask measures that are based solely on fear not fact. As early as April, our local doctors were calling this the media-virus but health officials and leaders in government have followed blindly. Like the governor os Michigan, I would like to see an independent audit of the hospital causes of death. Who is profiting from these emergency measures of the so-called pandemic? Not small businesses, their employees and Canadian families.
View 1 reply
Neil Shirtcliffe
replied on 04 January, 2021
It is not scientific.
Neil Shirtcliffe
replied on 04 January, 2021
Those journalists measuring oxygen and carbon dioxide were idiots. It is completely incorrect that the inhaled air behind a flimsy piece of cloth is significantly different from that without. It is possible to measure low oxygen and high carbon dioxide in exhaled air, but that is a tiny fraction of what is inhaled as the mask has a tiny volume. Carbon dioxide sensors also react to moisture, so the readings in moist air are unreliable.
View 1 reply
Kristen Meghan
replied on 04 January, 2021
I'm a Senior Industrial t hygienist and they did do it correctly, you must test in the breathing zone
Kim B
replied on 04 January, 2021
AMEN to everything you said! When our state started demanding the kids wear their masks during sports, we bought a pulsoximeter and it clearly showed oxygen levels were lower. Yet media outlets, including Dr TV shows continue to try to state otherwise! It doesn't make sense!
ET
replied on 04 January, 2021
where I work I have to wear a mask and a shield let me tell you there are days when I think I'm not going to make it.i get red in the face so sweaty,my mouth and throat so dry,skin peels off my lips and I struggle to breath.ive been asked many many times are you ok.im not the only one.when break comes and no more mask and shield I can not tell you what the fresh air taking deep breaths feels like.its indescribable.ive recently been experiencing over the last 2 months not being able to think clearly and getting confused but now its happening to the point its happening even at home.i dont know how much longer I can hold on.i work a physically demanding job.
Kristen Meghan
replied on 04 January, 2021
I am a Senior Industrial Hygienist of 18 years and you are absolutely correct.
ferte
commented on 04 January, 2021
IMHO,madatory masks is made to create FEAR,SO it´s a good deal for politicians and so on...
Kristen Meghan
commented on 04 January, 2021
I am a Senior Industrial Hygienist of 18 years. We are the SMEs in Respiratory Protection. I have managed the Respiratory Protection Program for over 76K employees. There is not one single study showing that the wide variety of face masks are safe for use, especially prolonged use. I will simply put that if I ever put the public or employees in face masks that are not ready to protect against the hazard at hand, I would lose my job and be fined. The United States is violating it's very own OSHA laws and the institution has been weaponized by politicians. These masks are about policy, not science. None of these face masks are rated to protect against this virus in either direction. We are dealing with censorship and no one is getting the truth about these masks. The WHO stated, in March, that these masks can cause infections if they're not utilized properly. Throughout my career, I have seen bacterial infections from people who were not washing or changing out their respirators or masks, as required. The CDC recently said that masks cannot cause bacterial infections. As a subject matter expert, I know this is completely false. I did a video about it and YouTube took it down and gave me a strike on my channel. I am unsure why some 22-year-old can fact check me and tell me I'm not allowed to say anything that goes against the CDC, but the CDC is going against the WHO. WHAT MAKES US EVEN WORSE, IS THAT THESE MASKS ARE IN FACT PPE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW IN 29 CFR 1910.132 it says if anyone were to bring a homemade or DIY form of PPE into the workplace, it is up to the employee to ensure that that PPE is rated to protect them against the hazard it is being worn for. The amount of contradictions are astounding. PPE is supposed to be a last resort, but we've made it the first line of defense. These face masks are not only hazardous to human health, but they actually make people violate social distancing and stand closer together. This false sense of illusion is causing more issues like self-contamination and cross-contamination.
View 2 replies
Kim B
replied on 04 January, 2021
Thank you!
Jessie
replied on 04 January, 2021
I'm a registered nurse. I've utilized PPE my entire career, but NEVER like this. Wearing a surgical droplet mask for 13 hours a day while at work, then having to wear the cloth mask when out to the store and such, I did develop a bacterial infection! I always wash my cloth masks and use a new one daily. But I ended up with a nasty skin infection that wouldn't go away with "home treatments" for over a week. I ended up on a round of 7 days worth of systemic antibiotics, 4 times a day! All because of excessive mask use.
Raymond Towers
commented on 04 January, 2021
Thank you.
Ellen Lewers
commented on 04 January, 2021
Children learn from adults and their peers by full facial Expressions. Languages are learned by watching all of the words being formed with mouth ,tongue. The frustration children and adults are having trying to understand words and expression are horribly frustrating and cause anxiousness in children and exhaustion. Stop the masks. We are destroying civilization.
Andrew David Boyle
replied on 04 January, 2021
You are right OSHA experts are just ignored. Risk assessment? There has never been one for mask wearing en masse. Check out the work of Denis Rancourt on masks if you have not done so already. Best wishes :-)
BJ
replied on 04 January, 2021
Thank you for providing scientific data against the compulsory mask measures that are based solely on fear not fact. As early as April, our local doctors were calling this the media-virus but health officials and leaders in government have followed blindly. Like the governor os Michigan, I would like to see an independent audit of the hospital causes of death. Who is profiting from these emergency measures of the so-called pandemic? Not small businesses, their employees and Canadian families.
View 1 reply
Neil Shirtcliffe
replied on 04 January, 2021
It is not scientific.
Neil Shirtcliffe
replied on 04 January, 2021
Those journalists measuring oxygen and carbon dioxide were idiots. It is completely incorrect that the inhaled air behind a flimsy piece of cloth is significantly different from that without. It is possible to measure low oxygen and high carbon dioxide in exhaled air, but that is a tiny fraction of what is inhaled as the mask has a tiny volume. Carbon dioxide sensors also react to moisture, so the readings in moist air are unreliable.
View 1 reply
Kristen Meghan
replied on 04 January, 2021
I'm a Senior Industrial t hygienist and they did do it correctly, you must test in the breathing zone
Kim B
replied on 04 January, 2021
AMEN to everything you said! When our state started demanding the kids wear their masks during sports, we bought a pulsoximeter and it clearly showed oxygen levels were lower. Yet media outlets, including Dr TV shows continue to try to state otherwise! It doesn't make sense!
ET
replied on 04 January, 2021
where I work I have to wear a mask and a shield let me tell you there are days when I think I'm not going to make it.i get red in the face so sweaty,my mouth and throat so dry,skin peels off my lips and I struggle to breath.ive been asked many many times are you ok.im not the only one.when break comes and no more mask and shield I can not tell you what the fresh air taking deep breaths feels like.its indescribable.ive recently been experiencing over the last 2 months not being able to think clearly and getting confused but now its happening to the point its happening even at home.i dont know how much longer I can hold on.i work a physically demanding job.
Kristen Meghan
replied on 04 January, 2021
I am a Senior Industrial Hygienist of 18 years and you are absolutely correct.