CSNbbs

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EYE ON THE NEWS
Do Masks Work?
A review of the evidence
Jeffrey H. Anderson
August 11, 2021 Covid-19Health CarePolitics and law

Do Masks Work? ...... A review of the evidence

Since we are constantly told that the CDC and other public-health entities are basing their recommendations on science, it’s crucial to know what, specifically, has been found in various medical studies. Significant choices about how our republic should function cannot be made on the basis of science alone—they require judgment and the weighing of countless considerations—but they must be informed by knowledge of it.

In truth, the CDC’s, U.K.’s, and WHO’s earlier guidance was much more consistent with the best medical research on masks’ effectiveness in preventing the spread of viruses. That research suggests that Americans’ many months of mask-wearing has likely provided little to no health benefit and might even have been counterproductive in preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus.

It’s striking how much the CDC, in marshalling evidence to justify its revised mask guidance, studiously avoids mentioning randomized controlled trials. RCTs are uniformly regarded as the gold standard in medical research, yet the CDC basically ignores them apart from disparaging certain ones that particularly contradict the agency’s position. In a “Science Brief” highlighting studies that “demonstrate that mask wearing reduces new infections” and serving as the main public justification for its mask guidance, the CDC provides a helpful matrix of 15 studies—none RCTs. The CDC instead focuses strictly on observational studies completed after Covid-19 began. In general, observational studies are not only of lower quality than RCTs but also are more likely to be politicized, as they can inject the researcher’s judgment more prominently into the inquiry and lend themselves, far more than RCTs, to finding what one wants to find.

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If you don't eat a skrimp or some good ole pork bbq, #bannedatF199

I like Tulane's approach better.

Texas on the other hand chose the other approach which is typical of America....

(08-20-2021 12:44 PM)CUSA_NEWS Wrote: [ -> ]I like Tulane's approach better.

Texas on the other hand chose the other approach which is typical of America....

I keep seeing goofy posts supporting the notion that black people in TX can't be driving the caseload trend, because only "1 out of 4" unvaccinated is black. Or, only "1 out of 4" hospitalization is black.

This is nonsensical analysis. It's a nice soundbite, but it's for - frankly - dumb people to buy into. And I suspect the media using it knows it's bull, but they are preying on the weak minded to repeat it, like the people here.

Here is why it's dumb. Blacks only makeup about 12% of the TX population. So if blacks are trending at 25% of the caseload, while only making up 12% of the population, then they are a BIG part of the problem. Put another way, if there are 5x as many whites in TX, but only 3x as many unvaxxed whites, then the proportion of unvaxxed blacks is a big problem.

Yeah...race is irrelevant. Why even use any mention of race to put blame on one or the other people. Some people seem to have trouble understanding why any folks are not rushing to get vaccinated--black white or brown.

How many black Texans go to Football games, anyway ... what's the percentage. I mostly see light faces in the Dallas crowd.

Race should be irrelevant. The virus started with the Asian race, rampaged Europe, took root in America, before hitting So America and Africa. After strong measures in India had initial success, Delta took root. Now it's rebounding the globe again. It is not looking at skin color before infecting.

Race is a factor in understanding vax hesitancy. There is reluctance within the black population (largely liberal voters). And there is reluctance within the rural population (largely white, conservative voters). The media tends to focus on (i.e. BLAME) one group or the other (usually rural America) - but never one group AND the other.

The largest single race demographic of unvaxxed has always been black. It is very under-reported. Our local media have been especially poor about this, and have done a disservice to the population by "excusing" that group's reluctance. However, latest trends show that the black population is making up ground. Over the last 14 days, blacks and hispanics have led the way, whereas whites have somewhat flattened.

(08-22-2021 12:14 PM)Tiger87 Wrote: [ -> ]

(08-20-2021 12:44 PM)CUSA_NEWS Wrote: [ -> ]I like Tulane's approach better.

Texas on the other hand chose the other approach which is typical of America....

I keep seeing goofy posts supporting the notion that black people in TX can't be driving the caseload trend, because only "1 out of 4" unvaccinated is black. Or, only "1 out of 4" hospitalization is black.

This is nonsensical analysis. It's a nice soundbite, but it's for - frankly - dumb people to buy into. And I suspect the media using it knows it's bull, but they are preying on the weak minded to repeat it, like the people here.

Here is why it's dumb. Blacks only makeup about 12% of the TX population. So if blacks are trending at 25% of the caseload, while only making up 12% of the population, then they are a BIG part of the problem. Put another way, if there are 5x as many whites in TX, but only 3x as many unvaxxed whites, then the proportion of unvaxxed blacks is a big problem.

He says this as red meat to his base...To defend against people saying that republicans are the driving force of the pandemic.

So he says look at them over there at them (The black people) the white people are doing better than them. But when you break it down black people are vaccinated at higher rates than republicans in the state of Texas.

So his argument is just invalid in the way he poses it...Yet he knows he is talking to weak minded people who don't see what he is doing.

To make is simpler...If blacks are problem because of their vax rate...Aren't republicans a much larger problem.

(08-24-2021 08:11 AM)macgar32 Wrote: [ -> ]

(08-22-2021 12:14 PM)Tiger87 Wrote: [ -> ]I keep seeing goofy posts supporting the notion that black people in TX can't be driving the caseload trend, because only "1 out of 4" unvaccinated is black. Or, only "1 out of 4" hospitalization is black.

This is nonsensical analysis. It's a nice soundbite, but it's for - frankly - dumb people to buy into. And I suspect the media using it knows it's bull, but they are preying on the weak minded to repeat it, like the people here.

Here is why it's dumb. Blacks only makeup about 12% of the TX population. So if blacks are trending at 25% of the caseload, while only making up 12% of the population, then they are a BIG part of the problem. Put another way, if there are 5x as many whites in TX, but only 3x as many unvaxxed whites, then the proportion of unvaxxed blacks is a big problem.

He says this as red meat to his base...To defend against people saying that republicans are the driving force of the pandemic.

So he says look at them over there at them (The black people) the white people are doing better than them. But when you break it down black people are vaccinated at higher rates than republicans in the state of Texas.

So his argument is just invalid in the way he poses it...Yet he knows he is talking to weak minded people who don't see what he is doing.

To make is simpler...If blacks are problem because of their vax rate...Aren't republicans a much larger problem.

The statement you made in bold above is absolutely wrong.

I've studied the data a few different ways. It always comes back to the largest % of unvaxxed people in TX (and in every state I've looked at) is Black. The Hispanic population is also lagging, but the data there is harder to analyze because of the way it is reported.

(08-24-2021 10:00 AM)Tiger87 Wrote: [ -> ]

(08-24-2021 08:11 AM)macgar32 Wrote: [ -> ]

(08-22-2021 12:14 PM)Tiger87 Wrote: [ -> ]I keep seeing goofy posts supporting the notion that black people in TX can't be driving the caseload trend, because only "1 out of 4" unvaccinated is black. Or, only "1 out of 4" hospitalization is black.

This is nonsensical analysis. It's a nice soundbite, but it's for - frankly - dumb people to buy into. And I suspect the media using it knows it's bull, but they are preying on the weak minded to repeat it, like the people here.

Here is why it's dumb. Blacks only makeup about 12% of the TX population. So if blacks are trending at 25% of the caseload, while only making up 12% of the population, then they are a BIG part of the problem. Put another way, if there are 5x as many whites in TX, but only 3x as many unvaxxed whites, then the proportion of unvaxxed blacks is a big problem.

He says this as red meat to his base...To defend against people saying that republicans are the driving force of the pandemic.

So he says look at them over there at them (The black people) the white people are doing better than them. But when you break it down black people are vaccinated at higher rates than republicans in the state of Texas.

So his argument is just invalid in the way he poses it...Yet he knows he is talking to weak minded people who don't see what he is doing.

To make is simpler...If blacks are problem because of their vax rate...Aren't republicans a much larger problem.

The statement you made in bold above is absolutely wrong.

I've studied the data a few different ways. It always comes back to the largest % of unvaxxed people in TX (and in every state I've looked at) is Black. The Hispanic population is also lagging, but the data there is harder to analyze because of the way it is reported.

I didn't say that black rates weren't the highest among the races...

I said black rates were better than republican rates...That is very different. Democratic whites are pulling up the vax rates for white people...I think that is clear.

So how is that statement wrong?

(08-24-2021 03:25 PM)macgar32 Wrote: [ -> ]

(08-24-2021 10:00 AM)Tiger87 Wrote: [ -> ]

(08-24-2021 08:11 AM)macgar32 Wrote: [ -> ]

(08-22-2021 12:14 PM)Tiger87 Wrote: [ -> ]I keep seeing goofy posts supporting the notion that black people in TX can't be driving the caseload trend, because only "1 out of 4" unvaccinated is black. Or, only "1 out of 4" hospitalization is black.

This is nonsensical analysis. It's a nice soundbite, but it's for - frankly - dumb people to buy into. And I suspect the media using it knows it's bull, but they are preying on the weak minded to repeat it, like the people here.

Here is why it's dumb. Blacks only makeup about 12% of the TX population. So if blacks are trending at 25% of the caseload, while only making up 12% of the population, then they are a BIG part of the problem. Put another way, if there are 5x as many whites in TX, but only 3x as many unvaxxed whites, then the proportion of unvaxxed blacks is a big problem.

He says this as red meat to his base...To defend against people saying that republicans are the driving force of the pandemic.

So he says look at them over there at them (The black people) the white people are doing better than them. But when you break it down black people are vaccinated at higher rates than republicans in the state of Texas.

So his argument is just invalid in the way he poses it...Yet he knows he is talking to weak minded people who don't see what he is doing.

To make is simpler...If blacks are problem because of their vax rate...Aren't republicans a much larger problem.

The statement you made in bold above is absolutely wrong.

I've studied the data a few different ways. It always comes back to the largest % of unvaxxed people in TX (and in every state I've looked at) is Black. The Hispanic population is also lagging, but the data there is harder to analyze because of the way it is reported.

I didn't say that black rates weren't the highest among the races...

I said black rates were better than republican rates...That is very different. Democratic whites are pulling up the vax rates for white people...I think that is clear.

So how is that statement wrong?

I can prove to you the racial vax numbers:
34% of TX blacks partially vaxed, 27% fully
47% of TX whites partially, 40% fully

Prove your statement that white republicans are lower than 27% vax rate...