I can't say I agree with that. You should both practice social distancing and wear a mask when among others. Crappy home-made masks help a bit against droplets, and only a very small amount against aerosols. I don't feel safe when wearing a mask, and I still follow social distancing.

If masks were not useful, why would doctors and nurses wear them? The rumours and statements that were spread early (including from officials) that they are not useful were hopefully a dishonest attempt at attempting to get the quality masks to where they were most needed, namely doctors and nurses. But that could have been handled by telling people that doctors and nurses should be prioritized reg. masks.