The following is my email to the school board please make edits(I know that this is not my strength, that is why i need y'all to edit this), i attached the pdf of this website[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7680614/pdf/main.pdf], and that is what is being referenced in this email

other context: I reside in Blount county TN

"ABSTRACT

Many countries across the globe utilized medical and non-medical facemasks as non-pharmaceutical intervention for reducing the transmission and infectivity of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Although, scientific evi- dence supporting facemasks’ efficacy is lacking, adverse physiological, psychological and health effects are established. Is has been hypothesized that facemasks have compromised safety and efficacy profile and should be avoided from use. The current article comprehensively summarizes scientific evidences with respect to wearing facemasks in the COVID-19 era, providing prosper information for public health and decisions making."

"Although several countries mandated wearing facemask in health care settings and public areas, scientific evidences are lacking supporting their efficacy for reducing morbidity or mortality associated with infectious or viral diseases"

"The physical properties of medical and non-medical facemasks sug- gest that facemasks are ineffective to block viral particles due to their difference in scales. According to the current knowledge, the virus SARS-CoV-2 has a diameter of 60 nm to 140 nm [nanometers (billionth of a meter)], while medical and non-medical face- masks’ thread diameter ranges from 55 μm to 440 μm [micrometers (one millionth of a meter), which is more than 1000 times larger"

"SARS-CoV-2 can easily pass through any facemask"

"In addition, the efficiency filtration rate of facemasks is poor, ranging from 0.7% in non-surgical, cotton- gauze woven mask to 26% in cotton sweeter material"

"The results of this study showed that among symptomatic in- dividuals (those with fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose ect...) there was no difference between wearing and not wearing facemask for coronavirus droplets transmission of particles of >5 μm. Among asymptomatic individuals, there was no droplets or aerosols coronavirus detected from any participant with or without the mask, suggesting that asymptomatic individuals do not transmit or infect other people"

"Based on four COVID-19 studies, the meta-analysis failed to demonstrate risk reduction of facemasks for COVID-19 transmission"

The following is an excerpt discussing WHO acknowledging potential harms and risks or wearing facemarks "These including self-contamination due to hand practice or non-replaced when the mask is wet, soiled or damaged, development of facial skin lesions, irritant dermatitis or worsening acne and psy- chological discomfort. Vulnerable populations such as people with mental health disorders, developmental disabilities, hearing problems, those living in hot and humid environments, children and patients with respiratory conditions are at significant health risk for complications and harm"

"Wearing facemask mechanically restricts breathing by increasing the resistance of air movement during both inhalation and exhalation process"

"A trapped air remaining between the mouth, nose and the facemask is rebreathed repeatedly in and out of the body, con- taining low O2 and high CO2 concentrations, causing hypoxemia and hypercapnia”

"In addition to hypoxia and hypercapnia, breathing through facemask residues bacterial and germs components on the inner and outside layer of the facemask. These toxic components are repeatedly rebreathed back into the body, causing self-contamination. Breathing through facemasks also increases temperature and humidity in the space between the mouth and the mask, resulting a release of toxic particles from the mask’s materials. A systematic literature review estimated that aerosol contamination levels of facemasks including 13 to 202,549 different viruses. Rebreathing contaminated air with high bacterial and toxic particle concentrations along with low O2 and high CO2 levels continuously challenge the body homeostasis, causing self- toxicity and immunosuppression”

"Conclusion

The existing scientific evidences challenge the safety and efficacy of wearing facemask as preventive intervention for COVID-19. The data suggest that both medical and non-medical facemasks are ineffective to block human-to-human transmission of viral and infectious disease such SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, supporting against the usage of facemasks. Wearing facemasks has been demonstrated to have substantial adverse physiological and psychological effects. These include hypoxia, hyper- capnia, shortness of breath, increased acidity and toxicity, activation of fear and stress response, rise in stress hormones, immunosuppression, fatigue, headaches, decline in cognitive performance, predisposition for viral and infectious illnesses, chronic stress, anxiety and depression. Long-term consequences of wearing facemask can cause health deteri- oration, developing and progression of chronic diseases and premature death. Governments, policy makers and health organizations should utilize prosper and scientific evidence-based approach with respect to wearing facemasks, when the latter is considered as preventive inter- vention for public health."

All the quotes from this email are sourced from the attached PDF, of which I highly recommend that you read.

I am a parent concerned for the health of my children, and while I acknowledge the existence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 (referred to as Covid 19), the science has now had a year of study to test the effectiveness of masks, and the risk of spread in schools. Science has shown that the Covid 19 disease does not spread from asymptomatic persons, studies have shown there to be no transmission of virus from children to children or children to adults, the fatality rate of this virus is less than or equal to .1% and this is mainly contributed to "older or chronically ill patients supporting the possibility that the virus may exacerbate existing conditions but rarely causes death by itself”

I refuse to let my children be put into a position that would risk their health for political or “virtue signaling” purposes. In the county of Blount there is no medical mandate from any Governor, Mayor, health board, or other elected official outside of the school board, there has also been to legislative action to require facemasks at any point.

I would like to see the evidence that was considered when the county’s school board made the decision to require children to wear facemasks for the entirety of the school day (excluding time to eat and outdoor recess)