Dr. Anthony Fauci was given tremendous authority during the pandemic so when he recommended something, which he always did strongly, it was taken seriously. Such was the case with mask mandates. Since then, almost every study shows they don’t work, but Dr. Fauci strongly supported them once again during his latest interview.
The Research
The overwhelming evidence presented by the definitive study from the Cochrane Library is masks didn’t work. Based on the Cochrane study, the New York Times wrote that the mask mandates didn’t work. Masking was a failure. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, insists they do work. He is on TV regularly stating they work.
At various times, Dr. Fauci said masks are “a nice gesture” or they “show respect,” which aren’t reasons to mask up.
In 2020, Dr. Fauci explained masks “are really for infected people,” which is 180 degrees from his statements after and to this day.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Professor of Medicine at Stanford University, said the masks were ineffective.
It’s theater, Dr. Rand Paul said. There is no need for these restrictions.
Former CIA agent and radio host Buck Sexton said Dr. Fauci is a “sociopathic cult leader who will never admit everything…He would do it all again.”
Fauci is a sociopathic cult leader who will never admit everything he said about Covid was bullshit. He would do it all again tomorrow if he could. Here he is defending the indefensible, as always⬇️
pic.twitter.com/TU5s9f13G9— Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) September 11, 2023
CNN won’t push masks any longer, and they were active supporters of all things Dr. Fauci.
OPINION: WOW!
You Know It’s Bad When Even @CNN Won’t Push The Mask #Propaganda Anymore & They Actually CHALLENGE Saint Fauci On His Push For Masks When The Science Is Clear, THEY DON’T WORK!pic.twitter.com/IIG1rgKMhS— John Basham (@JohnBasham) September 3, 2023
Newsweek reported that originally, Dr. Fauci said masks won’t work:
The Washington Post and BuzzFeed News have obtained hundreds of pages of Fauci’s emails through the Freedom of Information Act, revealing more about the early days of the pandemic.
In one message, Fauci replies to an email from Sylvia Burwell, believed to be the Sylvia Burwell who was Health and Human Services secretary for three years under President Barack Obama. Burwell had asked for advice about wearing face masks while traveling. Fauci’s reply is dated February 5, 2020, and is available in a document cloud provided by Buzzfeed.
Fauci wrote: “Masks are really for infected people to prevent them from spreading infection to people who are not infected rather than protecting uninfected people from acquiring infection.
“The typical mask you buy in the drug store is not really effective in keeping out virus, which is small enough to pass through material. It might, however, provide some slight benefit in keep out gross droplets if someone coughs or sneezes on you.”
He added: “I do not recommend that you wear a mask, particularly since you are going to a very low risk location.”
Dr. Kevin Bass writes:
In his latest interview, Fauci suggests that the Cochrane meta-analysis is “misleading” because:
1. Most of the studies it includes were done before COVID; and
2. “A number of studies actually show that masks do work” for COVID and that “there is a lot of good data that masks do work” for COVID.
This is not true.
First, it is notable that Fauci’s arguments have already completely changed since he last answered this question.
But let’s talk about the argument itself. It is true that most of the studies that the Cochrane review contained were conducted pre-COVID. But that should not be any consolation. This is because only two additional randomized controlled trials for masks were conducted during COVID.
Of these studies, Bundgaard et al. and Abaluck et al., only one showed a statistically significant result. In other words, there is only one COVID masking RCT that suggests that masks might work. Abaluck et al. showed an 11% reduction in symptomatic COVID from the use of surgical masks (but not cloth masks).
Yet there has been some controversy even about this finding.
Some researchers suggest that its methods were flawed, which led to its finding of a 11% reduction in COVID.
Then, there is the question whether Fauci’s criticism of Cochrane even masks sense. Why would masks work for COVID but not work for influenza, since influenza and COVID are the same size?
So, the picture of the research literature we are left with is this:
1. Virtually none of randomized controlled trials analyzed in various meta-analyses (including meta-analyses by CDC, WHO, and Cochrane) show a benefit to masking;
2. Only one of two of the COVID RCTs show a benefit to masking;
3. This benefit is extremely small;
4. This benefit to might be due to flawed study design;
5. It is hard to explain why this study showed a benefit to masks when all of the prior literature did not.
So one thing is for sure: the scientific case for masks is very weak. Masking is still simply not well-supported by strong scientific evidence.
We know something else too. Fauci’s claim that “there is a lot of good data that masks do work” is simply wrong. There isn’t.
Fauci is simply not reporting the truth here.
Same with “a number of studies actually show that masks do work.” No. Only one, flawed study suggests that masks work. Out of more than a dozen. Fauci simply doesn’t know how to talk about science without distorting it. And that’s the truth.
About the latest interview, Dr. Marty Makary wrote: “Just like his Covid origins talking points that cited a puff article he commissioned, the editor of Cochrane (who was not involved in the study) was heavily lobbied by politicos to put out a generic disclaimer, which Fauci is citing here. It’s called controlling the narrative: https://sensiblemed.substack.com/p/how-does-cochrane-normally-handle… https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/coronavirus/thrown-under-bus-research-collaborative-caves-media-pressure-mask-meta”
So, what’s the verdict? Is Dr. Fauci a sociopathic cult leader who won’t admit the truth?
Fauci always says “Yeah, but other studies say . . .” without ever citing a single example to back up his assertion. Schmuck.
It’s refreshing to see states, countries, and even CNN stand up against the fascists.