But you haven't shown that. No one has, that's the problem. I believe that masks contribute to reducing the spread of any virus. But mask mandates? I don't believe them to work, and there is evidence that they do not. There is also evidence that they do. But it is not conclusive. So saying "bottom line" does nothing to convince anyone. It just makes YOU feel better.
So you believe that masks stop the spread of COVID -- but somehow requiring people to wear masks when out via a mandate is not work. I should have to explain how diametrically opposed and silly this statement is.
Only because you're not very good at critical thinking. It is my belief that mask mandates don't work because the people don't follow them. Americans are notoriously independent in thinking. They don't follow like good little citizens like the Asians do, as an example. They are also not universally implemented and there is spotty coverage. And then there is the asymptomatic problem and people think they're not sick and get with others who aren't, and everyone gets sick. Or that people don't wear masks at all, but bandanas and other silly things. And so on and so forth. And for clarification, I believe that masks mitigate the spread. They don't stop it.
And yet... Japan did not have a mask mandate and everyone wears masks. In the U.S. where people are independent you need a mask mandate with consequences to get people to wear masks. This is how critical thinking works -- and why the U.S. and most western nations need mask mandates to get people to wear masks. There should also be regulations on what qualifies as an appropriate mask.
Ah, so you believe that when a mandate is put in place, Americans follow it without question like the Japanese?
Many states have fines both for non-enforcement by businesses and for individuals who fail to comply.
Ok, so this is a start. What states have had fines for individuals? Lets look and see if those states show mandates with fines contribute to case count declines. Pick one.
Some countries like China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea already have a prior (existing) history with face mask wearing. Those countries have worn face masks since 1950s for a host of reasons: minimize respiratory problems from pollution / allergies and for cultural reasons. In addition, it became fashionable...face masks is a hundred million dollar business in Asia. The fashion use was a problem because those types of face mask had no health protection. Covid-19 change the design of those types of fashion face masks so that they quickly were made with a double barrier...health protection the inner mask and the fashion design on the outside second layer mask. I have a friend in South Korea that makes a very good living selling face mask for the past +15 years. Within one week after China first public notification of Covid...his business quickly change their face mask design from one layer into two layers (health protection on the inside / fashion on the outside). -------- Today, Japanese consumers buy $230 million in surgical masks per year, and neighboring countries facing chronic pollution issues—most notably China and Korea—have also adopted the practice. -------- Regardless, they wear face mask when they feel sick, sneezing, coughing to be respectful to others around them. Also, they understand the combo power of social distancing, hand washing, contact tracing and quarantine to prevent spread of a contagious infection. Western countries never developed a value in face mask wearing in its culture. Covidiots will rather go to the streets and protest about lost of freedom / job or create conspiracy theories instead of understanding they must first protect life including their own loved ones. Simply, face mask wearing was already embedded into the Asian culture long before 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic. Thus, they knew since Day 1 what to do when the first contagious infection news hit China as ground zero. https://www.voanews.com/science-hea...ronavirus-asians-have-worn-face-masks-decades Americans or any other western country can not have a successful National Mandate program because it would needed to have been already experienced / acceptance within the culture long before Covid-19 instead of only with those already using face mask as part of their cultural daily life, in the medical field (e.g. doctors / surgeons / nurses / paramedics) or already experience from someone that had a prior respiratory illness. Example of the latter above, my first experience with face mask wearing was in college via an internship...medical researcher working with pathogens. My second experience with face mask wearing was in the military and then living off base with a South Korean girlfriend in South Korea and then later living as a civilian in Seoul, South Korea for a few years after graduate school. My third experience with face mask wearing was in the hospital when I was hospitalized / life support / coma and then when I came out of an almost 2 month coma. I had to wear a face mask (special type of breathing mask) while in quarantine for one month after I came out of a coma because I was contagious with another deadly infection. Doctors and Nurses wearing medical suits like astronauts...its an eye opener about how contagious I was with a deadly infection. Simply, I've been condition to accept face mask wearing just as much as anyone living in China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Doctors, Nurses or anyone working in the medical field. I knew the importance of face mask wearing long before Covid-19 hit the world in 2020. I know what to do (face mask wear, social distance, wash hands / use hand sanitizer, medical protection glasses) when I'm around other people especially those that are Covidiots. Last of all, I have no compassion for a Covidiot and their misinformation / disinformation on social media. Some of these Covidiots will even wear cheap (non-protective) face masks in public / indoor places knowing their face mask will not protect someone else in their environment. They are a danger to human life wrbtrader