The Straight Dope on Masks
For some reason, a few MAGAts got tired of buffing their muskets and decided to weigh in on scientific matters that they don’t understand. Don’t be too hard on them — many journalists are clueless, too, which is why so many reported that a recently released meta-analysis concluded “masks don’t work.”
That’s not what the meta-analysis — a study that combines the results of many studies — actually said. As this Los Angeles Times article points out, it cautioned, “The high risk of bias in the trials, variation in outcome measurement, and relatively low adherence with the interventions during the studies hampers drawing firm conclusions.” It also notes,
[T]he two studies in the meta-analysis that actually measured the effect of mask mandates in the COVID-19 pandemic, from Bangladesh and Denmark, showed that mask mandates did reduce infections and the spread of the virus —- quite the opposite of a conclusion that they “did nothing.”
It was easy to tell the visiting carrot-waxers don’t know dick about science, because they wanted to pat themselves on the back for “knowing” that masks were useless back when mask mandates were ordered. (I also enjoyed the one from the guy who knows lots of scientists, and they all agreed with him. Uh, dude, that’s a pretty obvious tell that you need to meet more scientists than the ones at your local GOP meetings.)
Here’s the straight scoop: Masks work in a lab. In practice they don’t work as well, but it’s because of the wearers, not the masks.
https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/do-masks-work
Tl;dr version: “The scientific arc of mask discovery is ongoing. Science is always evolving. Do not let anyone convince you of a one word answer to the question: Do masks work? It depends.”
If one needs proof that masks work, one need only look at the stats for hospital workers during the pandemic.
That’s evidence, not proof. Same as the drastic drop in influenza cases during the mask mandates. Went right back up once people stopped wearing them.
There’s a certain type of person who, when shown that they were wrong, simply double down. I find this sort generally believes all sorts of unsupportable bullshit, usually starting with Skydad.
As noted “faith” in the almighty sky daddy sent more then a few to their eternal rewards, then again so did intense stupidity. Ever one to choose the path of least resistance I do what the doctors do and wear a mask as needed, having noted long ago that politicians tend to be liars, prevaricators and congenital idiots.
Okay. Evidence…If one wants evidence that masks work…look at the stats of the health of hospital personnel during the piling up of the bodies like cordwood in ny. Had masks performed poorly, many more healh care workers would hav died, maybe even wiping out our ability to treat the sick. That is conjecture…Always quibbling, Alby, you know what I was suggesting, own that. And as much as you would like to be like him, you will never approach the performances of William F. Buckley.
How do you figure? We’re talking about science, where “evidence” and “proof” have different meanings. There is evidence — I believe strong evidence — that masks worked, but it’s inaccurate to call it proof. I’m being pedantic, I know, but I’m trying to correct a bunch of people who don’t understand this.
The “certain kind of people” I referred to are the RWNJs who came here to argue about it, not you.
I’d be very surprised if Alby wanted to emulate William F. Buckley. In fact, as Clark Griswold said to Cousin Eddie, “If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet I wouldn’t be more surprised.” He might find a Buckley turn of phrase to admire now and then, but only grudgingly.
My dad’s favorite line from that movie. 🙂