There's a difference between "masks work" and "mask mandates work" ("work" here meaning slowing or stopping the spread of a respiratory virus).
Of course specific masks are effective in sterile medical settings; this is why they're worn by doctors during surgery and so forth. There's a world of difference between this type of mask use and "mask mandates" where the state forces people to cover their face with zero regard to mask type, fabric, condition, duration of use, etc.
In regards to your other statements, there is zero evidence to show that widespread masking has slowed down the spread of the virus. Most of the data that says otherwise is either based on lab studies (again, looking at sterile, medical mask usage and then "generalizing" it across the population) or is based on wholly unscientific "models" that predict calamity and then "conclude" that mask mandates prevented armageddon (see COVID Act Now and other political lobbying groups). The actual data, state by state, country by country, does not display any strong correlation between mask wearing and slowed virus spread. As I'm sure you're aware, in many cases deaths and cases have increased after the mandates were put into place.
You also can't say masks are doing nothing, then, and it'd be impossible to prove wrong, except you'd have even less evidence.
you know you can just test masks, which has already been done as I pointed out in my comment?
That's easier than going back in time and removing all restrictions and comparing the results.
Yes, and most tests show they're effective.
Sort of.
There's a difference between "masks work" and "mask mandates work" ("work" here meaning slowing or stopping the spread of a respiratory virus).
Of course specific masks are effective in sterile medical settings; this is why they're worn by doctors during surgery and so forth. There's a world of difference between this type of mask use and "mask mandates" where the state forces people to cover their face with zero regard to mask type, fabric, condition, duration of use, etc.
In regards to your other statements, there is zero evidence to show that widespread masking has slowed down the spread of the virus. Most of the data that says otherwise is either based on lab studies (again, looking at sterile, medical mask usage and then "generalizing" it across the population) or is based on wholly unscientific "models" that predict calamity and then "conclude" that mask mandates prevented armageddon (see COVID Act Now and other political lobbying groups). The actual data, state by state, country by country, does not display any strong correlation between mask wearing and slowed virus spread. As I'm sure you're aware, in many cases deaths and cases have increased after the mandates were put into place.