The COVID mask controversy could have been answered two and a half years ago: Dr. Marty Makary
New study shows that masking up had little to no effect at preventing COVID transmission
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A major controversy throughout the pandemic was surrounding the efficacy of face masks against the spread of COVID-19. However, a recent study supports that masks may have done little, if anything at all, to stop the spread of the virus.
The study published by Cochrane Library, "Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses," where esteemed researchers dug into the impact of physical interventions, like masks and hand washing, on the spread of COVID.
Dr. Marty Makary joined "Sunday Night in America" to address this recent study and the vacillation on the effectiveness of masks since the start of the pandemic.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FACE MASKS MADE ‘LITTLE TO NO DIFFERENCE’ IN PREVENTING SPREAD OF COVID, SCIENTIFIC REVIEW FINDS
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), removes his protective face mask prior to speaking to the media at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on Dec. 20, 2021. ((Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP, File))
"You have to look, I would love to think that masks did something. But the reality is you've got to listen to the data," Makary said about the study. "This review looked at 65 studies from 19 countries, including the best randomized controlled trials out there. You can't ignore this study. It was done by an organization that's considered the highest evidence based body in all of medicine, and they set the standards in medicine."
Makary discussed how the researchers found that on a population level, the trajectory of COVID transmission did not change.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Now, look, if you get two people in a room with high quality masks, sure, it can reduce the transmission. But the reality is this is a ubiquitous virus that was nearly inevitable. It is highly contagious. You can't wear a mask consistently that long and not get the virus," Makary said, making the point that having kids faces covered by masks did "nothing" to reduce transmission.
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Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. On Tuesday, Fauci and other health officials discussed the rollout of a vaccine shots while saying the shot could be similar to an annual flu shot. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Dr. Makary highlights how health officials had the "wrong hypothesis" when it came to protocols, and continued to dig their heels in on implemented COVID practices despite "overwhelmingly" strong evidence against their claims.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"What public health officials did is they hedged on the wrong side of the issue. They had the wrong hypothesis. And when overwhelmingly strong evidence came out time after time, 65 studies on masks, 160 studies on natural immunity. Study after study, they didn't evolve their position. They dug in," Makary said, who went on to say that these health officials ware "intellectually dishonest."
WASHINGTON, DC: U.S. President Joe Biden takes off his mask as he walks towards members of the press prior to a Marine One departure from the White House to Maryland. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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"And at that point you're basically putting out misinformation," he said, explaining how the studies coming out of Sweden of schools that were masked vs. unmasked had "no difference" in transmission.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"If Dr. Fauci and all of those who pushed masks so fervently would have simply done their own randomized control study with good methodology, they could have answered the controversy two and a half years ago, but they chose to rule by dogma rather than scientific data," he added.