View OpEd: How Misinformation Tries to Discredit the Science Behind Masking

View OpEd: https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/how-misinformation-tries-discredit-science-behind-masking

References:

1. Baruchman M. Details emerge about CDC shooter, RFK Jr. visits campus: Developing updates. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Aug. 12, 2022. https://www.ajc.com/news/2025/08/details-emerge-about-cdc-shooter-rfk-jr-visits-campus-developing-updates/

2. Prasad V. Update on Cochrane Review of Masks. Sensible Medicine. Jun. 11, 2024. https://www.drvinayprasad.com/p/update-on-cochrane-review-of-masks

3. Zhao D, Cheng S, Tsui FR, et al. The Risk of Aircraft-Acquired SARS-CoV-2 Transmission during Commercial Flights: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 May 21;21(6):654. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21060654. PMID: 38928901; PMCID: PMC11203943. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/6/654

4. Getting to and Sustaining the Next Normal A Roadmap for Living with COVID. the Colton Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation the COVID Collaborative. Mar. 2022 https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Getting-to-and-Sustaining-the-Next-Normal-A-Roadmap-for-Living-with-Covid-Report-Final.pdf

5. Jefferson T, Dooley L, Ferroni E, et al. Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023 Jan 30;1(1):CD006207. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD006207.pub6. PMID: 36715243; PMCID: PMC9885521. https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006207.pub6/full

6. Loeb M, Dafoe N, Mahony J, et al. Surgical mask vs N95 respirator for preventing influenza among health care workers: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2009 Nov 4;302(17):1865-71. doi: 10.1001/jama.2009.1466. Epub 2009 Oct 1. PMID: 19797474. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/184819

7. Boulos L, Curran JA, Gallant A, et al. Effectiveness of face masks for reducing transmission of SARS-CoV-2: a rapid systematic review. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci. 2023 Oct 9;381(2257):20230133. doi: 10.1098/rsta.2023.0133. Epub 2023 Aug 23. PMID: 37611625; PMCID: PMC10446908. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10446908/

8. Greenhalgh T, MacIntyre CR, Baker MG, et al. Masks and respirators for prevention of respiratory infections: a state of the science review. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2024 Jun 13;37(2):e0012423. doi: 10.1128/cmr.00124-23. Epub 2024 May 22. PMID: 38775460; PMCID: PMC11326136. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11326136/

9. Prasad V. The Cochrane Mask Fiasco. Sensible Medicine. Mar. 15, 2023. https://www.sensible-med.com/p/the-cochrane-mask-fiasco

10. Abaluck J, Kwong LH, Styczynski A, et al. Impact of community masking on COVID-19: A cluster-randomized trial in Bangladesh. Science. 2022 Jan 14;375(6577):eabi9069. doi: 10.1126/science.abi9069. Epub 2022 Jan 14. PMID: 34855513; PMCID: PMC9036942. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abi9069

11. Jehn M, McCullough JM, Dale AP, et al. Association Between K-12 School Mask Policies and School-Associated COVID-19 Outbreaks - Maricopa and Pima Counties, Arizona, July-August 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021 Oct 1;70(39):1372-1373. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7039e1. PMID: 34591830; PMCID: PMC8486387. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7039e1.htm

12. Budzyn SE, Panaggio MJ, Parks SE, et al. Pediatric COVID-19 Cases in Counties With and Without School Mask Requirements - United States, July 1-September 4, 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021 Oct 1;70(39):1377-1378. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7039e3. PMID: 34591829; PMCID: PMC8486393. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7039e3.htm

13. Studies Show More COVID-19 Cases in Areas Without School Masking Policies. CDC Media Release. Sept. 24, 2021. https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/media/releases/2021/p0924-school-masking.html

14. Cowger TL, Murray EJ, Clarke J, Bassett MT, Ojikutu BO, Sánchez SM, Linos N, Hall KT. Lifting Universal Masking in Schools - Covid-19 Incidence among Students and Staff. N Engl J Med. 2022 Nov 24;387(21):1935-1946. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2211029. Epub 2022 Nov 9. PMID: 36351262; PMCID: PMC9743802. https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2211029

15. Naggie S, Boulware DR, Lindsell CJ, et al. Accelerating Covid-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV)-6 Study Group and Investigators. Effect of Higher-Dose Ivermectin for 6 Days vs Placebo on Time to Sustained Recovery in Outpatients With COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2023 Mar 21;329(11):888-897. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.1650. PMID: 36807465; PMCID: PMC9941969. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2801827

16. Naggie S, Boulware DR, Lindsell CJ, et al. Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV-6) Study Group and Investigators. Effect of Ivermectin vs Placebo on Time to Sustained Recovery in Outpatients With Mild to Moderate COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2022 Oct 25;328(16):1595-1603. doi: 10.1001/jama.2022.18590. PMID: 36269852; PMCID: PMC9587497. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2797483

17. Vallejos J, Zoni R, Bangher M, et al. Ivermectin to prevent hospitalizations in patients with COVID-19 (IVERCOR-COVID19) a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. BMC Infect Dis. 2021 Jul 2;21(1):635. doi: 10.1186/s12879-021-06348-5. PMID: 34215210; PMCID: PMC8250562. https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-021-06348-5

18. Mikamo H, Takahashi S, Yamagishi Y, et al; IVERMILCO Study Group. Efficacy and safety of ivermectin in patients with mild COVID-19 in Japan and Thailand. J Infect Chemother. 2024 Jun;30(6):536-543. doi: 10.1016/j.jiac.2023.12.012. Epub 2023 Dec 27. PMID: 38154616. https://www.jiac-j.com/article/S1341-321X(23)00316-1/fulltext

19. Smith GC, Pell JP. Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma related to gravitational challenge: systematic review of randomised controlled trials. BMJ. 2003 Dec 20;327(7429):1459-61. doi: 10.1136/bmj.327.7429.1459. https://www.bmj.com/content/327/7429/1459.long