Secret letter to CDC: Top epidemiologist suggests agency misrepresents scientific data to support mask narrative

Written by Megan Redshaw via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Documents recently obtained from the National Institutes of Health suggest public health officials used inaccurate information and misrepresented medical research to advance their political goal that masks prevent serious transmission of COVID-19 and viruses.—despite contrary scientific evidence received from experts.

In a letter recently obtained (pdf) sent in November 2021 to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), top epidemiologist Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, and seven colleagues informing the agency that it was promoting flawed data and excluding data that did not bolster its narrative.

The letter warned the agency that misrepresenting data on trusted websites such as the CDC and the Real-time learning network COVID-19– created jointly by the CDC and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) – would “damage the credibility of science”, jeopardize public trust by “misrepresenting the evidence” and give the public “false expectations” that the ‘masking would protect them from SARS. – CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

“We believe that the information and recommendations provided may increase your risk of becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 and experiencing a serious or even life-threatening infection.”, wrote Mr. Osterhom.

The authors urged the IDSA to remove the suggestion that masking prevents serious illness from its website and asked the CDC to reconsider its statements about “the effectiveness of masks and face coverings in preventing the transmission of SARS -CoV-2”.

Osterholm also pointed to a pattern of selective selection of data supporting the desired narrative that masks prevent severe illness and transmission of COVID-19; claims he said are not supported by the scientific evidence provided by the CDC and IDSA on their websites.

The IDSA Web page “Masks and Face Coverings for the Public” appears to “focus on the strengths of the studies that support its conclusions, while ignoring its shortcomings in study design,” wrote Mr. Osterholm. “Studies that do not support their perspective are similarly downplayed.”

The Real Time Learning Network COVID-19 was created in 2020 to share “accurate and timely information about COVID-19”. According to its website, IDSA’s editorial team of infectious disease and public health experts synthesizes clinical guidance, identifies emerging scientific consensus and areas of ongoing uncertainty, and addresses “misconceptions and misinformation.”

Although funded in part by the CDC, the IDSA collaborates with numerous medical professional organizations that publish medical journals and make recommendations based on the agency’s guidance, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the ‘American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Physicians, Society of Critical Care Medicine, Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists.

The letter was sent to CDC officials, Associate Medical and Associate Digital Editors of the COVID-19 Real-Time Learning Network, and IDSA board members, which included Dr. Rochelle Walensky, former director from the CDC during the COVID-19 pandemic. .

Experts call on CDC and IDSA to fix ‘serious errors’ on website

In his letter to the CDC, Mr. Osterholm asked the CDC and the IDSA to address the “serious errors” posted on their website about the effectiveness of the masks as soon as possible and strongly urged the IDSA to remove the suggestion that masking prevents severe COVID-19. 19 of their website and a podcast where these “irresponsible claims” were made.

In addition, Mr. Osterholm recommended that the IDSA reconsider statements about the effectiveness of masks and coverings in preventing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2noting that the IDSA website falsely suggests that evidence of mask effectiveness has strengthened during the pandemic.

“We do not agree that the evidence for its effectiveness has strengthened over the course of the pandemic, as the website suggests,” Osterholm said. “In fact, contrary to this website’s conclusion, the cited Cochrane review from November 2020 states this: “Compared to wearing a mask, wearing a mask may make little or no difference in how many people contracted a flu-like illness (9 studies). ; 3,507 people); and probably makes no difference in how many people have lab-confirmed flu (6 studies; 3,005 people).’”

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