In February, one of the most comprehensive meta-analyses of face coverings to date, by the Cochrane Institute, revealed masks made 'little to no difference' to Covid infection or death rates.Īs with any observational study, researchers behind the new UK study warned there were potential limitations. Studies failed to show definitively that masks prevented Covid. Officials issued mixed messages about their effectiveness at the beginning of the pandemic. While initially viewed as a virus prevention measure, masks have become a prominent symbol of the Covid culture wars in the UK. Those in high risk wards - the control group - who continued wearing masks, also 'found no immediate or delayed change in infection rate', the study said. This was despite transmission of the virus spiking within the community. Researchers found removing the mask policy in phase two did not produce a 'statistically significant change' in the hospital-acquired Covid infection rate.Įqually, they 'did not observe a delayed effect' in the Covid infection rate once the policy was removed. High risk wards, including ones treating cancer patients and intensive care units, retained the mask obligation. Instead, decisions about mask policy were entrusted to individual hospitals. It marked the time between the first week Omicron became the dominant Covid variant and the week universal PCR Covid screening tests were scrapped for patients being admitted.ĭuring the first phase of the study - Decemto 1 June 2022 - all staff and visitors were required to wear masks in both clinical and non-clinical areas.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |