Prof David Livermore writes a postcard from Taiwan, a country where children ride motor scooters on the footplate but 90% of food sellers wear face masks. And where a 'good pandemic' has given way to 20% excess deaths.
Dr Tom Jefferson shares the complaint he has sent to Cochrane about the Editor in Chief's smearing of his Cochrane review which found no evidence masks work against respiratory viruses like Covid.
Cochrane has finally confirmed that its review on the (in)effectiveness of masks will not be changed, over a year after succumbing to pressure from a New York Times writer. But the damage has been done, says Carl Heneghan.
Will discrimination on the basis of intelligence be banned next? That's the suggestion Lionel Shriver explores in her new novel MANIA, based on the craziness of the last few years. Read her interview with Laura Dodsworth.
When the Cochrane review of face masks found no evidence of efficacy, Cochrane grandees disowned it. But is evidence now back in fashion, ask Tom Jefferson and Carl Heneghan.
As the new Covid JN.1 variant spread over the winter, an Imperial College 'expert' predicted a "major surge in infections" and called for masks to return. This prediction, like all the others, did not age well.
According to the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, of the £12bn spent on PPE in 2020-21, £9 billion was wasted due to inflated prices or shoddy equipment. Has the Government learned the lessons?
Dr Tom Jefferson and Prof Carl Heneghan continue their deep dive into the chaos of the Government's pandemic response, honing in on the dynamic shifts in statements regarding mask usage.
There is no solid proof masks ever slowed the spread of Covid and they may have made things worse, England's former Deputy Chief Medical Officer and now UKHSA boss has said.
A recent Norwegian study explores the link between face mask use and COVID-19 risk, finding a 33-40% higher risk in frequent mask wearers.
