[brigandish]

> the correct answer to a non-significant study is not to assume that there is no difference, rather that we have not been able to detect a difference.

I completely agree (which might be why I didn't write that there is no difference:) In fact, we don't know if there's a difference, or if there is, what the difference is, and right now the evidence (as a whole) points to a negative difference for the outcome we're hoping for. It's essentially a (fairly) open question at this point (which again leads back to the religiosity on show from some "sides" in this debate).

The statement was:

> To say that cloth masks "haven't been shown to help do anything" is demonstrably false

I just want to cut down statements like that, statements that really are demonstrably false* in their certitude.