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The Real Science on Masks: They Make No Difference
Cashiers wear protective masks in a grocery store in New York City on April 2, 2020. (Stephanie Keith via Getty Images)
Face coverings do nothing to reduce the spread of Covid, according to a new, gold standard scientific review.
By John Tierney
02.27.23
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1,263

We now have the most authoritative estimate of the value provided by wearing masks during the pandemic: approximately zero. The most rigorous and extensive review of the scientific literature concludes that neither surgical masks nor N95 masks have been shown to make a difference in reducing the spread of Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

This ve…

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John Tierney
John Tierney is a contributing editor to City Journal and the co-author of "The Power of Bad: How the Negativity Effect Rules Us and How We Can Rule It.”
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