The COVID pandemic has seen a range of stances from the CDC in regard to face coverings.
In April 2020, the CDC altered its original statement and suggested that all Americans, including children as young as 2, should wear face masks.
During a Senate hearing that September, Robert Redfield, who was the CDC Director at the time, expressed that face masks are the most effective health tool we currently possess, even suggesting that they may offer more protection than vaccines.
These statements led to the implementation of mask requirements in 39 states across the U.S.
A current scientific survey indicates that the extensive use of masks may not have had much of an effect, if at all, on halting the spread of COVID-19.
Cochrane Library published the findings of a review of 78 randomized controlled trials that looked into the effects of "physical interventions" such as face masks and hand washing on the transmission of respiratory viruses.
The review discovered that when we compare not wearing a mask to wearing the generic surgical mask "wearing a mask may make little to no difference in how many people caught a flu-like illness/COVID-like illness (nine studies; 276,917 people); and probably makes little or no difference in how many people have flu/COVID confirmed by a laboratory test (six studies; 13,919 people)."
The evaluation then contrasted medical/surgical face masks to N95 respirators (or P2 respirators, which are popular in Europe and showed that "wearing N95/P2 respirators probably makes little to no difference in how many people have confirmed flu (five studies; 8407 people); and may make little to no difference in how many people catch a flu-like illness (five studies; 8407 people), or respiratory illness (three studies; 7799 people)."
78 studies were conducted, including participants from countries with varying economic statuses.
The authors of the study compiled data from the H1N1 influenza pandemic of 2009, the intervening non-epidemic and epidemic flu seasons until 2016, and the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The latest discoveries raise many questions about the CDC's strong support for wearing face coverings in many settings.
Dr. Marc Siegel, professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, noted a key point of restriction though: "The researchers focus primarily on randomized trials, but most of the studies that have been done on masks are population studies, he said. "There are very few randomized trials on masks."
In a study in which individuals have been randomly assigned to distinct groups, researchers are examining the outcomes in a regulated setting.
In comparison, investigations of population-based studies determine results in an actual environment.
The authors of the research accepted that there were certain confinements and a possibility of prejudice, including the low number of participants who followed face mask recommendations as well as the broad range of outcomes.
The authors expressed that "The results might change when further evidence becomes available."
According to Dr. Siegel, he has never been an advocate for the implementation of mask mandates.
His view is that masks may be beneficial to an individual but not as effective for the entire population.
He commented that "If youre going to mandate something, youd have to be sure of consistency across the population, and thats never happened."
The medical professional, however, noted that the CDC never actually required people to wear masks, apart from a mandate on public transportation that was issued at the beginning of 2021.
"It was the state and local authorities that took the CDCs recommendations and implemented the mandates," he added.
"The recommendations may have been wrong, but the CDC doesnt deserve the blame for everything. I think they were aware that masks may have value on a personal basis, but they got carried away with the politics."
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