- Twitter removed Dr. Atlas’ tweet saying cloth masks don’t work
- CDC Oct 2020 cloth masks recommended for community
- Unsubstantiated claims that masks save lives (based upon IHME unproven presumption that masks, even cloth masks in community, reduce deaths by “at least one third”)
- 2020: CDC recommends community mask adoption
- CDC’s own data showing poor efficacy of anything other than N95
- Gaiters and bandanas:
- “As a last resort, the agency said that health care providers could consider using “homemade masks” – such as bandanas or scarves – to care for coronavirus patients, ideally in combination with a face shield.”
- Single layer masks (e.g., Gaiters and bandanas) no longer recommended
- CDC concedes cloth masks not as effective (NYT)
- Dec 2020 Military grade camera shows risk of airborne spread
- “Wearing cloth masks will not have much effect”
- “The homemade cloth masks again yielded either no change or a significant increase in emission rate during speech compared to no mask”
- “A rigorous study finds that surgical masks are highly protective, but cloth masks fall short.”
- https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02457-y
- Note: the study found NO benefit of cloth masks, and surgical masks had some benefit in those >50 yr., but no benefit in <50 yr
- https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02457-y
- Even surgical masks not effective in high-risk settings
- Bacterial and fungal isolation from face masks
- Dec 2021 onwards Dr Leana Wen: cloth masks not effective against airborne virus
- CDC mask study (expanded reanalysis by Dr. Høeg showing no benefit of school mandate)
- CDC updates mask recommendations
- Even in 2020 we had data showing that surgical masks were minimally effective and some cloth masks were ineffective
- Dr. Osterholm (commentary that cloth masks provide very limited protection)
- Case against mask for children
- Studies that suggest low quality masks increase risk of spread
- CA counties with mask mandate fared no better than those without
- CDC drops mask requirement in health care settings 2022
- However, CA continues mask mandate for health care settings
- Analysis of mask compliance in Europe fails to find benefit