- A May 2020 meta-study on pandemic influenza published by the US CDC found that face masks had no effect, neither as personal protective equipment nor as a source control. (Source)
- A Danish randomized controlled trial with 6000 participants, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in November 2020, found no statistically significant effect of high-quality medical face masks against SARS-CoV-2 infection in a community setting. (Source)
- A large randomized controlled trial with close to 8000 participants, published in October 2020 in PLOS One , found that face masks “did not seem to be effective against laboratory-confirmed viral respiratory infections nor against clinical respiratory infection.” (Source)
- A February 2021 review by the European CDC found no high-quality evidence in favor of face masks and recommended their use only based on the ‘precautionary principle’. (Source)
- A July 2020 review by the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine found that there is no evidence for the effectiveness of face masks against virus infection or transmission. (Source)
- A November 2020 Cochrane review found that face masks did not reduce influenza-like illness (ILI) cases, neither in the general population nor in health care workers. (Source)
- An August 2021 study published in the Int. Research Journal of Public Health found “no association between mask mandates or use and reduced COVID-19 spread in US states.” (Source)
- A July 2021 experimental study published by the American Institute of Physics found that face masks reduced indoor aerosols by at most 12%, not enough to prevent infections. (Source)
- An April 2020 review by two US professors in respiratory and infectious disease from the University of Illinois concluded that face masks have no effect in everyday life, neither as self-protection nor to protect third parties (so-called source control). (Source)
- An article in the New England Journal of Medicine from May 2020 came to the conclusion that face masks offer little to no protection in everyday life. (Source)
- A 2015 study in the British Medical Journal BMJ Open found that cloth masks were penetrated by 97% of particles and may increase infection risk by retaining moisture or repeated use. (Source)
- An August 2020 review by a German professor in virology, epidemiology and hygiene found that there is no evidence for the effectiveness of face masks and that the improper daily use of masks by the public may in fact lead to an increase in infections. (Source)
3 Likes
2 Likes
In January 2021, the German state of Bavaria was one of the first places in the world to mandate N95/FFP2 masks in most public settings. A comparison with other German states, which required cloth or medical masks, indicates that even N95/FFP2 masks made no difference.
Covid cases in the German state of Bavaria (FFP2/N95 mandate since 01/21) vs. Germany overall (RKI/ISC)
1 Like
Nice copy pasta.
Randomized controlled trial is what we are looking for though instead of conclusions from experiments which they conducted themselves.
Cute
1 Like
Anecdotes aren’t data, but we had a whole lot fewer sick days at work this past flu season. I’m a believer, at least when a big chunk of the population is masked up, which these studies don’t address.
And it seems somewhat key in at least some of the studies examined were “suboptimal adherence in the face mask group.”
Imo, this suggests wear your mask: “Although the difference observed was not statistically significant, the 95% CIs are compatible with a 46% reduction to a 23% increase in infection…The recommendation to wear surgical masks to supplement other public health measures did not reduce the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate among wearers by more than 50% in a community with modest infection rates, some degree of social distancing, and uncommon general mask use. The data were compatible with lesser degrees of self-protection.”
This seems like a particularly challenging study, for many reasons…
This says: “There is evidence of low to moderate certainty for the use of medical face masks providing a small to
moderate protective effect against COVID-19 in the community, both in terms of personal protection as well
as source control (protection of others).
Most, but not all, studies show a favourable effect for medical face masks for protecting against COVID-19.
However, this effect was not statistically significant in several studies, and the quality of the evidence was
assessed as low in several studies, so the results should be interpreted with caution.”
2 Likes
If you read through all of these studies, at the very least, you will find that the effectiveness of masks is quite overstated.
In times like these, fanatical approaches are unhelpful. These studies provide that balance. They are from governments, peer-reviewed, respectable scientific organisations.
Also, masks outdoors are unnecessary.
2 Likes
I understand many people in Taiwan believe that ‘coz masks’ there is no Covid in Taiwan. However, this is just mass stupidity. The effectiveness of masks ‘containing Covid spread,’ as proven above by mutiple studies, is greatly overstated. That’s all I’m saying. I’m not claiming they have zero effectiveness, but the science is clear, masks outdoors are unnecessary, and for the most part they are really only a psychological measure.
As with any “Covid measure,” balance is best. Otherwise we become fanatics.
3 Likes
The intervention was not masks themselves but the recommendation to wear a mask.
This was of course flu not Covid. Interestingly there was virtually no flu season last year.
Masks must be worn to be effective…
The comparison was vs surgical masks, not no masks.
I’m not sure what your point is. These studies all had specific objectives. They all expose the limitations of masks (whatever they may be), and highlight that their use in the general population to constrain Covid (or anything else for that matter) has been grossly overstated. They also provide additional evidence that shows that masks may have detrimental effects.
For example, from one you cited:
Findings of systematic reviews have been conflicting [17, 18, 39, 41–45], the most recent showing protective effects of masks against respiratory viral infection including pandemic coronaviruses across different populations but with low certainty [39, 41]. An observational study conducted at Hajj over four consecutive years (2014 to 2017) found pilgrims who reported using facemasks had higher likelihood of suffering from influenza-like illness symptoms (adjusted relative risk, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.82) and acquiring rhinovirus infection (adjusted relative risk, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.65) [46]. In an earlier study, 20.7% pilgrims who used a facemask reported fever compared with 15.6% who did not (p < 0.01) [47].
Another little-known ‘bad health’ effect of masks:
Masks are bad for the planet. Millions upon millions of disposable masks have been used per month for over a year. A report from the UN found the Covid19 pandemic will likely result in plastic waste more than doubling in the next few years., and the vast majority of that is face masks.
The report goes on to warn these masks (and other medical waste) will clog sewage and irrigation systems, which will have knock on effects on public health, irrigation and agriculture.
A study from the University of Swansea found “heavy metals and plastic fibres were released when throw-away masks were submerged in water.” These materials are toxic to both people and wildlife.
3 Likes
Fair question. My point is simply that it’s important to provide context when listing key findings of a study. Most people don’t have time to read all the studies that are linked to in these discussions, so it is helpful to provide fair balance when summarizing findings.
For example, in the pilgrim paper, the participants were living together, sleeping in close proximity. Even in the mask group, only about a quarter used masks according to the protocol… and they just had to use one mask a day to meet the protocol requirement, rather than meeting the 24 hour requirement according to the initial study protocol. My understanding is that mask effectiveness is enhanced when everyone is wearing one. In addition, transition through contact surfaces is less efficient with SARS-CoV-2 than with flu. Also, the normal control group could wear masks if they wanted to, which could reduce the apparent relative effectiveness of mask. So, for many reasons, this study doesn’t provide much evidence in relation to the question of whether masks help prevent transmission of Covid-19 when worn by all in public settings.
Agree.
1 Like
Good point. In the US there was virtually no flu last season. Masks were probably just part of the equation. You also had people not going out as much, occupancy limits, one-way files in grocery stores, frequent sanitizing of surfaces, more hand washing, people being cautious about touching things, kids either staying home from school or being socially distanced with masks at school…
More data for your perusal:
South Korean study
And a 2010 study had already said so in similar circumstances
5 Likes
Results from more than 30 studies from around the world were analysed in detail, showing a statistically significant 53% reduction in the incidence of Covid with mask wearing and a 25% reduction with physical distancing.
Handwashing also indicated a substantial 53% reduction in Covid incidence, although this was not statistically significant after adjusting for the small number of handwashing studies included.
2 Likes
However mask wearing in an environment with no Covid virus has been proven to be 100% ineffective. It doesn’t prevent what could never actually happen in the first place. Might as well buy alien abduction insurance.
1 Like
It is similarly effective against other respiratory viruses. A covid outbreak will be severely limited by mask wearing measures. Necessary until population reaches higher vaccination numbers.
1 Like
But we have no Covid. Maybe we should introduce some so that the masks actually serve a porpoise.
My head office is going to be trying to get me to Hsinchu for various end of year activities. It’ll be a hard no from me since they’re still wearing masks in the office. Five months without a case in Hsinchu and they’re still wearing masks.
Lot of people buy insurance because it’s the law, but they never have an accident and get to use it.
I’ll stop wearing masks when 99% of the public got their 3rd booster shot, and that places like the US and Israel show some sign that it would be enough to stop new variants of the virus.
2 Likes
Ain’t gonna happen. That virus is gonna keep on mutating.
But again, you’re wearing a seat belt in a car that is not only not moving, it’s up on blocks with no wheels.
2 Likes