CFM tells Anvisa that there is no scientific evidence for the use of masks

The Federal Council of Medicine (CFM) sent a document to the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) this Monday (13) stating that there is no scientific evidence that the use of masks has an impact on the reduction of cases of Covid-19.

The letter is signed by the president of the body, José Hiran da Silva Gallo, and sent to the director-president of Anvisa, Antônio Barra Torres. CFM analyzed several scientific publications on the use of protective masks and other studies that affirm the inefficiency of the object.

In the official letter, the Council stated that most matters related to the coronavirus, such as the effectiveness of public policies regarding the mandatory use of masks by the general population, is a “still controversial topic”.

After the studies analyzed, the CFM concluded that there was no plausible evidence for the use of protective masks as a means of reducing the spread of the virus. “Therefore, there is no scientific evidence that the banal and widespread use of masks in the community has any impact on the transmission of COVID-19 or even a reduction in illness”, he concluded.

The Council also cited Anvisa’s measures of November 2022, which provide for the mandatory use of a mask by passengers and airport employees inside “airport terminals, means of transport and other establishments located in the airport area”. “In addition to not having evidence of protection, there is evidence of harm to the health of crew, passengers and the environment”, says the document.

The CFM also highlighted that there is no longer a state of health emergency for Covid-19 and there is no epidemic curve in effect. “And even if there were, ANVISA’s measure lacks technical and scientific grounds for its implementation. Predictions of dramatic increase in curves and deaths mistakenly made at the end of last year have not turned into reality”.

In another section, the letter mentions that the use of masks cannot be imposed on people who “do not share such ideologies or behaviors, especially in the absence of scientific evidence or even possible harm to the patient’s health, as is the case in question. ”.

Finally, in the document sent to Anvisa, CFM pointed out that in the scientific studies analyzed, individual and collective losses were found in the adoption of the unrestricted policy of wearing masks. “Unlike what happens in the context of health professionals in hospital environments using high-end equipment, there is no scientific justification for recommending or mandating the use of masks by the general population as a public policy to combat the Covid-19 pandemic”.

Questioned on the subject, the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) has not yet returned the report.