A new peer-reviewed study entitled: "Correlation Between Mask
Compliance and COVID-19 Outcomes in Europe" has demonstrated that use of
face masks, even widespread, did not correlate with better outcomes
during the COVID epidemic, based on data from 35 European countries with
populations of over one million people each, encompassing a total of
602 million people. The study noted that the average proportion of
mask usage in the period investigated (October 2020 until March 2021)
was 60.9% ± 19.9%. Governments and advisory bodies have
recommended and often mandated the wearing of face masks in public
spaces and in many areas mandates or recommendations remain in place,
despite the fact, the study notes, that randomized controlled trials
from prior to and during the epidemic have failed to show a benefit to
the wearing of such masks with regard to COVID transmission. "Positive
correlation between mask usage and cases was not statistically
significant," the study also found, "while the correlation between mask
usage and deaths was positive and significant (rho = 0.351, p = 0.039)."
That is to say, more mask usage correlated with a higher death rate. The
study used a variety of statistical methods to study correlation but
"none of these tests provided negative correlations between mask usage
and cases/deaths ... Surprisingly, weak positive correlations were
observed when mask compliance was plotted against morbidity
(cases/million) or mortality (deaths/million) in each country." The
study also noted that the public may have gained the impression that
masks could be helpful due to the fact that mandates were usually
implemented after the first peak of COVID cases had passed. However, it
became evident that masks were not in fact helpful later that same year,
when widespread mask usage does not appear to have mitigated the
severity of the COVID wave of winter 2020. "Moreover," the study
concludes, "the moderate positive correlation between mask usage and
deaths in Western Europe also suggests that the universal use of masks
may have had harmful unintended consequences." https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/8354758
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