I have a new article in the New York Times discussing lack of randomized trials for masks for source-control for COVID. In my newsletter, I discuss what this debate/debacle reveals, not just about COVID denialism, but also about our public health response.https://zeynep.substack.com/p/on-randomized-trials-and-medicine …
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And seriously, the reporting on this is, predictably terrible. This below is the NYT. Why this weird "both sides" framing? No, it's not just the critics that are noting these limitations. The study itself is well-written and IT'S THE AUTHORS THEMSELVES NOTING THESE LIMITATIONS.pic.twitter.com/UfAIDDngDm
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Look, the Danish study is weak and statistically underpowered. Too short, only measures impact of "recommending" rather than wearing masks, testing method has a false positive issue plus not measuring source-control. Okay, though. This is described in the paper. Not much to see.
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I guess they don't teach about confidence intervals at Wharton.
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Perhaps it should be called a lack-of-confidence interval. Would that make it more clear?
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"This study, taken alone, provides some evidence that masks reduce the likelihood of infection but doesn't provide conclusive evidence that they do not increase that likelihood" is a much clunkier headline, unfortunately.
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At least nobody needs to wonder what kind of catastrophe might fully reveal the negative consequences from decades of low investment in the USA Public School System.
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3/. MSM: please report on the specific types of mask/masks used in other countries. N95, P100 (filters 99.96%), surgical, etc. The industrial versions of the N95/P100 masks are built to last, leak less, and are more comfortable than the simple, fragile, medical N95.
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