This is not a scientific argument (correlation is not causation), but it's an argument supported by numbers, not just words. If we look at scientific studies,

This is not a scientific argument (correlation is not causation), but it's an argument supported by numbers, not just words. If we look at scientific studies, they also confirm the some effectiveness of masks in reducing the risk of influenza or COVID-19 infection and mortality. One study on mice, I saw, showed that antiviral-coated masks increase the likelihood of developing immunity to infection BEFORE the infection, because fragments of dead viruses enter the lungs and trigger an immune reaction.