Something to note, is that while it is possible we might all eventually contract COVID (or its variants), there is real benefit in contracting it as late as pos

Something to note, is that while it is possible we might all eventually contract COVID (or its variants), there is real benefit in contracting it as late as possible, and not being among the first group that gets it. The vaccines greatly blunt the severity of illness, but even outside of vaccines our treatment regimes are better for the hospitalized. So if wearing masks pushes your infection date out to when vaccines are available (and you get vaccinated), it is not unreasonable to assume the inverse (that not wearing masks led to earlier infections and thus worse outcomes, and death)