"Crucially, we find that the effect of mask mandates depends on the attitudes toward mask wearing at the county level, with larger effects in counties more posi

"Crucially, we find that the effect of mask mandates depends on the attitudes toward mask wearing at the county level, with larger effects in counties more positively inclined towards mask wearing." and "Importantly, this paper does not estimate the effect of wearing masks, but rather the effect of mandating mask wearing." This indicates that the mask wearing itself may not be the cause, but the behaviors of people who are more "positively inclined" to the mandate. The study does nothing to separate correlation.