Another day, another fight over face masks. It used to be that we couldn’t talk about politics or religion. Well, I added a third: face masks. If you have strong opinions in those 3 areas, you will lose friends. But let’s talk about the Dannish face mask study, because while I enjoy a good fight, so many people are getting it wrong.

In my most recent video, I discuss the new Dannish face mask study, what it means for us, and the media’s response.  I work in health communications, so the media’s response was most interesting to me. A few people on my Facebook wellness page shamed me for linking to this article, because they said it would encourage people to not wear masks. So, yes, they asked me to ignore a randomized controlled trial on face masks, one that was published in a top, peer-reviewed journal, because they were afraid the findings would sway people to act in a way they didn’t like. And I was an “influential” person so I had to act in a “responsible way” that wouldn’t get people killed. What do I say to them? Take a hike. I think the least scientific thing I could do is not share the article. Hiding articles or tearing them apart because I don’t like the results is the definition of bias. It’s the definition of dishonesty. People can try to shut me up, but I won’t be a willing whore for the popular narrative.

Before I post my opinion of the Dannish face mask study, a short story: A few weeks ago, I posted a link to a podcast I did with an epidemiologist in Hong Kong. He did a study on face masks and explained why he believes they are helpful in slowing the spread of COVID-19. While it got many shares, it got me a lot of negative feedback. I mean a lot. The most precious one that stands out the most is from a middle-aged woman in Canada. She told me I should be charged with “assisted homicide by suffocation” for merely posting the link. You can listen to the face mask podcast here, but let me be clear: No matter what I’ve posted about face masks, I’ve been accused of killing people.

The Dannish face mask study video is on my Instagram page !