Randomized control trials (RCTs) have long been considered the gold standard for determining the effectiveness of a drug, surgery, or other medical intervention. But observational studies, although long regarded as second-rate compared to RCTs, have contributed invaluable information to the medical sciences. Indeed, analyses of RCTs compared to observational studies have concluded that well-run observational studies are comparable. I will explain RCTs and observational studies later in this post, but first, I want to tell the story of John Snow and how he used his powers of observation to lower worldwide death rates, perhaps more than anyone in history.
Read MoreToday I am going to talk about known patterns of viral outbreaks, specifically respiratory-based infections, and how the lockdowns and mask mandates affected them. Since outbreak patterns are somewhat standard, differing mitigation strategies can be compared from region to region. If you are interested in the findings, read on.
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