Welcome to the Reason Roundtable, your Monday afternoon news and views podcast from the

magazine of Free Mines and Free Markets.

I am Matt Welch, joined by Nick Gillespie, Katherine Meng, you ward and special guest star,

Emma Camp, happy last podcast to February everyone.

Howdy.

Hey, Matt.

Hi there.

Well done.

So nearly a month ago, the Cochran Library described as the international gold standard

for analyzing randomized clinical trials or RCTs, which themselves are understood to be

the gold standard for medical testing, came out with a meta analysis of 18 RCTs, are you

still with me, studying the effectiveness of masks in reducing the spread of COVID-19

and influenza.

In conclusion, in the words of the lead author, Oxford's Tom Jefferson, there is just no

evidence that they make any difference full stop.

Full stop is British for G.F.Y.

Let's go look that up, everyone.

Rather amazingly, if not quite surprisingly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

reacted by saying it will not change its recommendations that kids as young as two, where

masks in congregate settings, where infection rates are on the rise, said CDC director

Rochelle Walensky at a congressional hearing earlier this month, quote, our masking guidance

doesn't really change with time.

...