The following "Masks: CDC vs. the Evidence" chart is a visual summary of the balance of mask-related evidence at a glance. It's a teeter-totter organized by the strength of different types of evidence. Weaker evidence like modeling based on estimates is on both sides of the center fulcrum, while the best evidence -- meta-analyses from randomized controlled trials -- is on both of the far ends. Each type of study evidence is represented by its own vertical bar. Within each bar, each block represents a published study, listed in academically-formatted citation format. There are over 225 studies displayed.

 

The author of this chart, Dr. Philip Buckler, took the 69 publications cited by the CDC in its' two flagship pro-masking publications, "The Science of Masking to Control COVID-19" (16 November 2020) and "Science Brief: Community Use of Cloth Masks to Control the Spread of SARS-CoV-2" (7 May 2021), read them, and placed them on this chart along with over 150 other studies the CDC, for some odd reason, neglected to cite. Interestingly, many of the studies that the CDC cites to support the efficacy of masks actually provide evidence opposing this conclusion.

 

Before you view the chart below, please watch this short explanation by Dr. Buckler.