What do you view as the reasons why the public masks mandates were ostensibly not very effective?

[JayJay]

@Eagle-Keeper

Let me first clarify that I use the word ostensibly since one could make the argument that had it not been for the mask mandates things would have been much worse. Nonetheless here’s the reality, I’ve looked at the figures state by state and the US as a whole, prior to the vaccine case counts were skyrocketing across the US. Then as the vaccine made its way into people’s arms only then did the case counts drop and did so precipitously.

Analysis - the vaccine was substantially more effective than masks. I would assume none will debate that conclusion.

Regarding the masks let me state the following. From what I have studied masks can be an effective means to prevent the spread of a virus. In particularly a new, properly fitted and worn N95 mask. So let me be clear that this is not an argument that masks do nothing. Some of the studies and data I found on certain masks had their efficacy around 90% or higher. That’s just as good or better than the vaccines. Clearly though when looking at the charts, the practice of wearing masks was nowhere close to the effectiveness of the vaccines.

What conclusions do you think can be drawn?

Masks rely on more individual operators’ behaviors than vaccines do for their effectiveness to be as well seen. Mainly because vaccines drastically cut down (or did before variants) on one odds of getting infected whether exposed or not. Even now, vaxxed and boosted is almost as effective at infection prevention against Omicron as doubly vaxxed was against prior variants.

That’s the simplest explanation.