Five separate news outlets got their facts wrong about a mask wearing study. Can you help us call out bad reporting?

25 November 2021
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Friend, our media must do more to give people accurate information.

Last week, the Guardian, The Times, the Metro, New Scientist and Forbes claimed a study shows mask-wearing cuts the risk of Covid by 53%. This isn’t what the study says. It actually says mask-wearing is “associated with” a 53% risk reduction, but that due to the limitations of the research, “it was difficult for our review to draw a… causal conclusion”.

We published our fact check the next day, and we’re pleased that the Guardian, The Times and the Metro have updated their articles off the back of this.

As independent fact checkers, it’s your support that makes this work happen.
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Friend, there’s a lot to be done. We’ve also recently found various newspapers taking Covid-19 data out of context, and misreporting a study about tea drinking and dementia risk.

It's vital that people making decisions about their health get the right information.

We need your help
to ensure we can fact check what’s said in the media, scour the evidence, and push for the record to be corrected when the claims don’t stack up.

If you agree that accurate reporting is critical to getting out of this pandemic, could you become a supporter today?
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Lots of people giving a small amount makes a really big difference.

We're really grateful for all the support you can give at this time.

Steve – Editor
Full Fact

PS We’re still waiting on Forbes and the New Scientist to make corrections. Become a supporter and help correct the record today ([link removed])

Read more:
* Study doesn’t show masks cause 53% drop in Covid risk ([link removed])
* Be wary of claims Covid-19 deaths ‘soar’ on Tuesdays ([link removed])
* Study doesn’t show tea and coffee cause lower dementia and stroke risk ([link removed])

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