Cochrane study: forcing people to wear masks is a public health failure

Critics say Cochrane ignores real-world data. Now the co-founder of the Cochrane collaboration, an expert in research methodology, speaks out.

Naomi Oreskes, well-known science historian and co-author of the book "Merchants of Doubt", argues that the public through the Cochrane study from 2023 was “misled” into concluding that “wearing a face mask is likely to make little or no difference” in preventing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. In an im Scientific American published article Oreskes writes that the Cochrane study "could confuse the average person" because its method of summarizing evidence emphasizes "rigor over reality."

Oreskes criticizes the Cochrane review for basing its findings "on randomized controlled trials, often referred to as the 'gold standard' of scientific evidence," and says the analysis "ignores epidemiological evidence because it does not meet their rigid standard." . Oreskes concludes that Cochrane was wrong because his methods were too rigorous and that “it is time for these standard practices to change.”

Peter Gøtzsche, a medical scientist who co-founded the Cochrane Collaboration in 1993 and is an expert in research methodology, said he was "stunned" by her comments. “It is clear that Oreskes lacks scientific objectivity,” said Gøtzsche in a sharp rebuke. "Oreskes actually claims that the researchers should have lowered their standards and relied on weaker evidence in their review." Oreskes cites a number of observational studies that support the use of face masks to prevent the spread of viruses. But Gøtzsche says the problem with observational studies is that “they are often wrong.” “In observational studies, there are several confounding factors that are difficult to control, which is why it is often impossible to establish a cause-and-effect relationship,” he explains.

“It is claimed that studies would show that masks are effective if people only wore them correctly, but that is nonsense,” says Gøtzsche. “If people are not wearing the masks properly, it is an indication that they are not an effective public health measure and should not be used. The CDC has published several observational studies in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) that have significant influence on U.S. public health policy and are often cited as evidence of the effectiveness of masks. One Analysis by Høeg et al. published in Am J Med However, "MMWR publications related to masks draw positive conclusions about the effectiveness of masks more than 75% of the time, despite testing masks in only 30% of cases and <15% statistically significant results had".

Two randomized controlled trials of masking have been conducted during the Covid pandemic - one in Denmark and the other in Bangladesh - but both came to unconvincing results. Oreskes accuses Tom Jefferson, the lead author of the Cochrane study, of saying that wearing a face mask "makes no difference - none at all" and of making "the classic mistake of confusing the lack of evidence with the evidence of the to be confused by the absence”. But Gøtzsche says: “There is no lack of evidence. There is evidence from randomized trials, including those designed to prevent flu transmission, that shows that masks simply don't work."

The fact is that health authorities knew there was no evidence that face masks could prevent virus transmission during a pandemic. In February 2020, for example advised then-US surgeon Jerome Adams strongly discourages Americans from using face masks. «Seriously people – STOP BUYING MASKS! They do NOT prevent the general public from becoming infected with the coronavirus,” he tweeted. In March 2020, a WHO official said: “There is no concrete evidence that mask-wearing has any potential benefit in the general population. In fact, there is some evidence to suggest the opposite if you don't wear a mask properly or don't fit it properly."

England's then deputy chief medical officer, Dame Jenny Harries, agreed, saying masks could cause harm to the population by giving people a false sense of security. She warned: "The average member of the public walking down the street [wearing a mask] is really not a good idea." And Anthony Fauci, then director of the NIAID, told 60 Minutes: "In the United States right now, people shouldn't be walking around with masks."

A few weeks later the picture suddenly changed. Health authorities not only changed their advice but also pushed for masks to be required in hospitals, outdoors and in schools for young children. In hindsight, that was bad advice. A new systematic review by Sandlund et al., published in the BMJ's Archives of Diseases in Childhood, shows that health authorities were wrong to require masks for children because there was a lack of high-quality evidence. The authors write: “In medicine, new measures with unknown benefits but known or potential risks cannot be ethically recommended or enforced unless it is proven that they do no harm.”

The study points to “extensive research” pointing to the harms associated with children wearing masks, adding: “We find no evidence of the benefits of wearing a mask for children to protect themselves or those around them To protect against Covid-19.” The authors conclude that “the recommendation to mask children does not correspond to the accepted practice of only recommending medical measures where the benefits clearly outweigh the risks.” Gøtzsche agrees: “The requirement to wear masks is a failure of public health. The reason we are still discussing masks is because the authorities relied on trash studies to justify their use and wanted to appear as if they were doing something. In a crisis it is increasingly difficult to do nothing."

(via Maryanne Demasi)