I actually believe the mask offers increased protection from contracting COVID after skimming a few peer reviewed med journals, at what level I'm not sure and didn't care to find out.
The more important question was if the virus presented an actual danger to warrant a mask and the answer is no, the same with the vaccine.
If I was 70 and morbidly obese with CHF and unvaccinated than this wouldn't be the case.. the mask might curtail the 6% chance of getting a fatal case and may well be worth it, although with the vaccine it's probably negligible and comparable to always wearing a helmet in a car.
It is obvious that helmets prevent injuries and deaths for drivers and passengers in cars, that is why every racing driver wears them. I don’t have stats for how effective they are but when combined with safety equipment they do a very good job protecting the head in a serious collision.
So why don’t all drivers wear them?
People don’t like wearing helmets. They are uncomfortable, claustrophobic, reduce ventilation on hot days, and make you look like a douche.