“ If one of two airborne transmissions remains within normal variation while the other drops significantly, then masks had an insignificant effect.”
Statistically speaking, it’s a large error to assert this or draw this conclusion.
There are too many confounders, the hugest being that it’s not flu season there and the sample size is way too low to have confidence in any conclusion based on the UK flu sample. Given the significance of the data in southern hemisphere countries, it suggests there is an effect on flu transmission and the UK data (by confounders and small sample) are consistent with that possibility.
“Masks don't discriminate between flu and covid.”
That’s right - suggesting a big effect on reducing both, with confounders that would make such a comparison meaningless if you tried to make it in a country like UK right now.
Comments
Statistically speaking, it’s a large error to assert this or draw this conclusion.
There are too many confounders, the hugest being that it’s not flu season there and the sample size is way too low to have confidence in any conclusion based on the UK flu sample. Given the significance of the data in southern hemisphere countries, it suggests there is an effect on flu transmission and the UK data (by confounders and small sample) are consistent with that possibility.
That’s right - suggesting a big effect on reducing both, with confounders that would make such a comparison meaningless if you tried to make it in a country like UK right now.