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The BANGLADESH Study
The Impact of Community Masking on COVID-19:
A Cluster-Randomized Trial in Bangladesh
Jason Abaluck, et. al., August 31, 2021
This study has been highly praised and often referred-to as "proof" that masks "work." Nothing could be further from the truth.
In fact, the Bangladesh Study is probably the first, and certainly one of the best, to PROVE that masks do NOT work.
But let's look at the study as written before we point out the research flaws:
The Impact of Community Masking on COVID-19:
A Cluster-Randomized Trial in Bangladesh
by Jason Abaluck, et. al.
August 31, 2021
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Summary
A randomized-trial of community-level mask promotion in rural Bangladesh during COVID-19 shows that the intervention tripled mask usage and reduced symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections, demonstrating that promoting community mask-wearing can improve public health.
Abstract
Background: Mask usage remains low across many parts of the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, and strategies to increase mask-wearing remain untested. Our objectives were to identify strategies that can persistently increase mask-wearing and assess the impact of increasing mask-wearing on symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Methods: We conducted a cluster-randomized trial of community-level mask promotion in rural Bangladesh from November 2020 to April 2021 (N=600 villages, N=342,126 adults).
We cross-randomized mask promotion strategies at the village and household level, including cloth vs. surgical masks. All intervention arms received free masks, information on the importance of masking, role modeling by community leaders, and in-person reminders for 8 weeks.
The control group did not receive any interventions. Neither participants nor field staff were blinded to intervention assignment. Outcomes included symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence (primary) and prevalence of proper mask-wearing, physical distancing, and symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (secondary).
Mask-wearing and physical distancing were assessed through direct observation at least weekly at mosques, markets, the main entrance roads to villages, and tea stalls. At 5 and 9 weeks follow-up, we surveyed all reachable participants about COVID-related symptoms. Blood samples collected at 10-12 weeks of follow-up for symptomatic individuals were analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies.
Results: There were 178,288 individuals in the intervention group and 163,838 individuals in the control group. The intervention increased proper mask-wearing from 13.3% in control villages (N=806,547 observations) to 42.3% in treatment villages (N=797,715 observations) (adjusted percentage point difference = 0.29 [0.27, 0.31]). This tripling of mask usage was sustained during the intervention period and two weeks after.
Physical distancing increased from 24.1% in control villages to 29.2% in treatment villages (adjusted percentage point difference= 0.05 [0.04, 0.06]). After 5 months, the impact of the intervention faded, but mask-wearing remained 10 percentage points higher in the intervention group.
The proportion of individuals with COVID-like symptoms was 7.62% (N=13,273) in the intervention arm and 8.62% (N=13,893) in the control arm. Blood samples were collected from N=10,952 consenting, symptomatic individuals. Adjusting for baseline covariates, the intervention reduced symptomatic seroprevalence by 9.3% (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) =0.91 [0.82, 1.00]; control prevalence 0.76%; treatment prevalence 0.68%). In villages randomized to surgical masks (n = 200), the relative reduction was 11.2% overall (aPR = 0.89 [0.78, 1.00]) and 34.7% among individuals 60+ (aPR = 0.65 [0.46, 0.85]). No adverse events were reported.
Conclusions: Our intervention demonstrates a scalable and effective method to promote mask adoption and reduce symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections.
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Believe What We Say - Not What We Did
Do not get distracted by the "Summary" of what these researchers concluded from their study data:
"A randomized-trial of community-level mask promotion in rural Bangladesh during COVID-19 shows that the intervention tripled mask usage and reduced symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections, demonstrating that promoting community mask-wearing can improve public health."
Pay attention to what their stated GOAL of the study was:
"Our objectives were to identify strategies that can persistently increase mask-wearing..."
They did NOT try to prove that masks work, that 'fact' was an assumption built into their study.
These 'researchers' had read the Hamster Study that allegedly "proved" mask usage cuts the transmission of COVID-19 by "50% to 75%" (yeah, don't believe it). Therefore these 'scientists' were not concerned with 'proving' mask efficacy.
They only wanted to know if they could find ways to get people wear the masks - the 'lower COVID-19 rate' would naturally follow.
Huh. It didn't work.
Well, the Harassment Worked...
As stated in their paper, the researchers used every inducement, 'intervention', harassment technique, peer pressure, propaganda, and haranguing they could think of to get people in the subject areas to increase their use of masks:
"We cross-randomized mask promotion strategies at the village and household level, including cloth vs. surgical masks. All intervention arms received free masks, information on the importance of masking, role modeling by community leaders, and in-person reminders for 8 weeks."
The test subjects (did they volunteer for this?) were harassed and annoyed through every social channel available -- posters, announcements, lectures, via every possible venue:
"Mask-wearing and physical distancing were assessed through direct observation at least weekly at mosques, markets, the main entrance roads to villages, and tea stalls."
These poor people couldn't have gotten away from the mask zealots if they'd tried.
Oh, and eight weeks of this constant abuse got the compliance rate from 13% mask usage up to 42%. Bravo.
"The intervention increased proper mask-wearing from 13.3% in control villages... to 42.3% in treatment villages... This tripling of mask usage was sustained during the intervention period and two weeks after."
Please note that once the harassment stopped, so did much of the mask use.
So, what did we all learn from this?
Something that we, world-wide, have already experienced -- most people will cave under constant pressure, and will comply with the ridiculous demands of kooks, just to shut them up.
What Have We REALLY Learned?
Don't let these scam artists avoid the REAL results of all this work -- the miraculous drop in COVID-19 infections that did NOT happen.
With a tripling of the mask usage in these villages, the fabulous reduction in people catching the sniffles must have been staggering!
So what was the reduction (because yes, there was one)?
One percent. Yup, 0.1%. Total.
Wait, what?!
"The proportion of individuals with COVID-like symptoms was 7.62% in the intervention arm and 8.62% in the control arm."
Now, the authors of this paper proceed to do an intricate fan-dance to explain how ONE percent is really ELEVEN percent:
"Adjusting for baseline covariates, the intervention reduced symptomatic seroprevalence by 9.3% (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) =0.91 [0.82, 1.00]; control prevalence 0.76%; treatment prevalence 0.68%). In villages randomized to surgical masks (n = 200), the relative reduction was 11.2% overall (aPR = 0.89 [0.78, 1.00])..."
Well, no.
One percent is one percent. Which is also statistically insignificant. It could be an error in the data.
But, let's give them the win anyway. Let's call it a real one percent decrease in COVID-19 cases.
That's a helluva long way from a "50%-to-75%" reduction, isn't it?
Kinda PROVES masks DON'T work.
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