"St. Louis Revises Mask Policy Amid Fluctuating COVID and Flu Case Trends"

St. Louis has joined Los Angeles, New York City, and other regions in reinstating mask mandates for city employees, citing rising flu cases, RSV positive tests, and COVID hospitalizations. However, the article criticizes the decision as politically driven and not based on scientific evidence, referencing a Cochrane Library review that found no substantial evidence supporting the effectiveness of masks in preventing respiratory viruses. The author argues that local data from St. Louis does not support the efficacy of mask mandates, suggesting that the policy is a result of ideological beliefs rather than scientific findings.