Opinion: The mask mandates did nothing. Will any lessons be learned?

Photo/Matthew Busch/The New York Times / Various masks hang at a home in Austin, Texas, on Dec. 20, 2022.
Photo/Matthew Busch/The New York Times / Various masks hang at a home in Austin, Texas, on Dec. 20, 2022.

The most rigorous and comprehensive analysis of scientific studies conducted on the efficacy of masks for reducing the spread of respiratory illnesses -- including COVID-19 -- was published late last month. Its conclusions, said Tom Jefferson, the Oxford public health researcher who is its lead author, were unambiguous.

"There is just no evidence that they" -- masks -- "make any difference," he told journalist Maryanne Demasi. "Full stop."

But wait, hold on. What about N95 masks, as opposed to lower-quality surgical or cloth masks?

"Makes no difference -- none of it," said Jefferson.

What about the studies that initially persuaded policymakers to impose mask mandates?

"They were convinced by non-randomized studies, flawed observational studies."

What about the utility of masks in conjunction with other preventive measures, such as hand hygiene, physical distancing or air filtration?

"There's no evidence that many of these things make any difference."

These

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