I tweeted this at you Dr. Prasad in hopes that you would turn your analytical eye for it. Grateful you did, and grateful that you have given us parents a means for rebuttal. Thank you for your efforts (not necessarily that you're on my "side" but in that you are spending significant time just trying to find the truth - whatever the truth might be, based on the data).
OMG - I saw this study come across my Academy newsletter this week and knew it must be flawed. Once again I am grateful for your wisdom Vinay. Thank you for taking the time to go through this for us!
I am going to write a paper tonight saying that masks are effective at reducing spread of Covid-19. I will cite evidence of how frequently men shaved their beards while wearing a mask, a scatterplot of mosquito bites vs types of masks used, and of course weather patterns, because rain.
It will get published so long as I get the 'right' findings
1) As you've said in many videos and podcasts, Dr. Prasad, mask use among children is imperfect. Even among compliant adults (like the students at the adult school I teach at), masks constantly fall beneath the nose when they talk, there are slight or significant gaps near the cheeks, and to top it off, people just cram together anyway. (I suspect people think masks act as a safety blanket.) Once omicron hit I've been seeing a lot more people wearing N95 and KN95 masks ... with noticeable gaps. What's the point?
2) As you've said, the difference in closure rates is almost insignificant. Masking everyone didn't seem to make much of a difference. Now, you could say that any gain in safety is important, but by that logic you would put in a ton of other measures regardless of covid: a) patting down anyone who steps onto campus for drugs or weapons (students, teachers, staff, visitors, etc.); b) requiring students to wear clear backpacks so nothing dangerous can be smuggled inside; c) requiring regular checks for cold or flu symptoms including reading temperature, flu tests, and so on; d) enforcing 5 mph speed limits when children are present; e) random inspections of lockers ... and so on. I know all that sounds ridiculous, but so many people are asking for or implanting covid-related restrictions for children under the guise of "protecting" them, even though they're barely at risk to the disease. I figure if you take that logic to its natural conclusion, then you might as well ask for all the other restrictions.
I saw this come through in my JAMA update and was hoping you would dissect it. The outcome seemed insignificant to rationalize the insanity of masking 2 yr olds, yet my county which has an 85% vaccination rate among all eligible has dug its heels in with masking
One wonders why this paper exists. Was it solicited? The researchers seemed to want to find an answer they believed true. They created a checklist to collect data and built a statistical model to analyze that data. Perhaps they were a bit sad that the responses were so low. But that's likely because every daycare I know is horribly busy and staff shortages are normal; responding centers might have their own biases along with the staff in completing the survey. So the data don't really reflect the desired outcome in the full model so terms gets moved around until the data say mostly something (p-chasing). Good news, it fits the narrative and gets published. Such studies do not build confidence in research.
Did it look at a difference policy for closings as well. Generally Dept of health’s forced closures if too many contacts out, and if you unmasked they required more quarantines. So could be more about the policy and not about the mask.
Survey with 30% response rate! Grade 7 science fair. You nailed it, wealthier schools LOVE their virtuous safetyism policies. My kids go to one. “ bragging sbout it” ~ TRUTH!
One more "study" of "scientific" findings to support a political aim. This one hardly deserves your critical analysis, Dr. Prasad. Where is common sense? Such a crazy thing we are doing to children of all ages, but the younger they are, the more pernicious. I hope you will not let go of this topic and continue to expose it for the danger it poses for these kids and therefore to us all.
I tweeted this at you Dr. Prasad in hopes that you would turn your analytical eye for it. Grateful you did, and grateful that you have given us parents a means for rebuttal. Thank you for your efforts (not necessarily that you're on my "side" but in that you are spending significant time just trying to find the truth - whatever the truth might be, based on the data).
OMG - I saw this study come across my Academy newsletter this week and knew it must be flawed. Once again I am grateful for your wisdom Vinay. Thank you for taking the time to go through this for us!
I am going to write a paper tonight saying that masks are effective at reducing spread of Covid-19. I will cite evidence of how frequently men shaved their beards while wearing a mask, a scatterplot of mosquito bites vs types of masks used, and of course weather patterns, because rain.
It will get published so long as I get the 'right' findings
Thank you for doing this! You have a gift(s)!
I have two takeaways from this essay:
1) As you've said in many videos and podcasts, Dr. Prasad, mask use among children is imperfect. Even among compliant adults (like the students at the adult school I teach at), masks constantly fall beneath the nose when they talk, there are slight or significant gaps near the cheeks, and to top it off, people just cram together anyway. (I suspect people think masks act as a safety blanket.) Once omicron hit I've been seeing a lot more people wearing N95 and KN95 masks ... with noticeable gaps. What's the point?
2) As you've said, the difference in closure rates is almost insignificant. Masking everyone didn't seem to make much of a difference. Now, you could say that any gain in safety is important, but by that logic you would put in a ton of other measures regardless of covid: a) patting down anyone who steps onto campus for drugs or weapons (students, teachers, staff, visitors, etc.); b) requiring students to wear clear backpacks so nothing dangerous can be smuggled inside; c) requiring regular checks for cold or flu symptoms including reading temperature, flu tests, and so on; d) enforcing 5 mph speed limits when children are present; e) random inspections of lockers ... and so on. I know all that sounds ridiculous, but so many people are asking for or implanting covid-related restrictions for children under the guise of "protecting" them, even though they're barely at risk to the disease. I figure if you take that logic to its natural conclusion, then you might as well ask for all the other restrictions.
I saw this come through in my JAMA update and was hoping you would dissect it. The outcome seemed insignificant to rationalize the insanity of masking 2 yr olds, yet my county which has an 85% vaccination rate among all eligible has dug its heels in with masking
One wonders why this paper exists. Was it solicited? The researchers seemed to want to find an answer they believed true. They created a checklist to collect data and built a statistical model to analyze that data. Perhaps they were a bit sad that the responses were so low. But that's likely because every daycare I know is horribly busy and staff shortages are normal; responding centers might have their own biases along with the staff in completing the survey. So the data don't really reflect the desired outcome in the full model so terms gets moved around until the data say mostly something (p-chasing). Good news, it fits the narrative and gets published. Such studies do not build confidence in research.
Did it look at a difference policy for closings as well. Generally Dept of health’s forced closures if too many contacts out, and if you unmasked they required more quarantines. So could be more about the policy and not about the mask.
Survey with 30% response rate! Grade 7 science fair. You nailed it, wealthier schools LOVE their virtuous safetyism policies. My kids go to one. “ bragging sbout it” ~ TRUTH!
One more "study" of "scientific" findings to support a political aim. This one hardly deserves your critical analysis, Dr. Prasad. Where is common sense? Such a crazy thing we are doing to children of all ages, but the younger they are, the more pernicious. I hope you will not let go of this topic and continue to expose it for the danger it poses for these kids and therefore to us all.
Masking young kids is sheer insanity! Thank you for dissecting this and other policy malfeasance which continues to harm our youth.