How Cochrane review A122 became a political football

And what we are missing in the noise

Last week Tom was interviewed by Michael Smerconish, once on a radio programme and two days later on the morning TV programme of CNN.

The background to this frenetic activity was an increase in Covid cases (whatever that may mean) in the US and a consequent interview that Smerconish did with Dr. Anthony Fauci, who once described himself as ”the science”. Narcissism apart, Dr. Fauci made some enigmatic claims about masks. Asked to comment on his views after the publication and circulation of Cochrane review A122, Dr Fauci stated that there is no doubt that masks work against SARS CoV-2 at a personal level, but the data at the community level is “less strong” (listen to a clip of his interview during the Smerconish podcast).

This apparent second flip-flop (Dr Fauci initially held the view that mask use did not interfere with the spread of the agents and then changed his mind during the crucial late March 2020) drove certain sectors of the US media to a frenzy, with the run-up to party pr…