Even before the pandemic, the best available evidence – randomized controlled trials – already showed that masks are ineffective in containing respiratory viral transmission. Additional RCTs conducted during the pandemic support this conclusion. Therefore, the best available evidence does not support even the recommendation of wearing masks, let alone making them compulsory.
There are many open questions about the actions taken in response to the pandemic, and, in my view, a most relevant one is whether the mandatory use of masks helped mitigate the spread of Covid-19, or if it was just a distraction, which may have even hindered the fight against the pandemic.
Brownstone Institute is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 87-1368060
BROWNSTONE INSTITUTE
2028 E BEN WHITE BLVD, #240-3088
AUSTIN, TX 78741
+1-469-842-8976
—
WEST HARTFORD, CT
Published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
For reprints, please set the canonical link back to the original Brownstone article
en
de
da
sv
pl
pt
es
it
nl
fr
ro
iw
ja
ru
hy
hi
ar
sw
cn