Hacker News Reader

Comment by 9HZZRfNlpR | Hacker News Reader

Scientific studies have not proven that masks are effective in limiting the spread of the virus. Quite a lot EU countries suggest they can do more harm than good if used sloppily. Masks and covid in the US have become political issue riddled with pseudo science from all sides.

View on HN

There’s more studies than controlled ones.

Sociological studies strongly suggest that masks do work.

For example, there was a recent study that compared COVID hospitalization rates of districts in Tennessee that had mask mandates vs those which didn’t and the areas with mask mandates had significantly lower disease spread.

To be clear: you're saying that we don't see any benefit with rigorous science. We only see the benefit when we drop our standards of evidence.

How are sociological studies any less scientifical? Is the human behavior something not worth studying?

It is but with 70% being non-reproducible we should be careful what we conclude. Humans are not robots. Lots and lots of factors in play.

I have worn mask since march and have no problem with doing so, I believe they help curve some, but scientific rigor not clickbaity politicized headlines on NYT is what is needed here.

Because it's not science. Spain has been wearing masks for months now, 99% of people comply and it gets only worse and worse. Both of our statements are anecdotes.

It literally is science in any possible definition you can come up for the word. Your anecdotes don't really matter.

They are science, but they're not good evidence. A well run meta analysis of well run RCTs would be best, followed by well run RCTs.

Anything else is science but weak evidence.

Statistical analysis from the South Carolina Department of Health.

https://scdhec.gov/news-releases/dhecs-third-data-analysis-m...

https://scdhec.gov/news-releases/update-mask-requirement-dat...

Reply on news.ycombinator.com