Re-analysis on the statistical sampling biases of a mask promotion trial in Bangladesh: a statistical replication
Maria Chikina, Wesley Pegden, Benjamin Recht
Abstract
A recent randomized trial evaluated the impact of mask promotion on COVID-19-related outcomes. We find that staff behavior in both unblinded and supposedly blinded steps caused large and statistically significant imbalances in population sizes. These denominator differences constitute the rate differences observed in the trial, complicating inferences of causality.
Topics & Concepts
Replication (statistics)MedicineSampling (signal processing)Research designPromotion (chess)Statistical analysisClinical trialData scienceBioinformaticsStatisticsComputer sciencePathologyBiologyTelecommunicationsVirologyPoliticsDetectorPolitical scienceMathematicsLawCOVID-19 epidemiological studiesCOVID-19 Pandemic ImpactsInfection Control and Ventilation