I think mask, much like your mother telling you to cover your mouth, slows the velocity and reduces the amount of virus in the air. As for totaling stopping infections I doubt that as much as it would with particles that don't land on your hand when you cover your mouth. I haven't been sick in nearly two and half years. Twice I thought I was coming down with something, one time when I was exposed before I knew family members had covid, but I did the protocol of American Frontline Doctors and it was short lived. I do live alone though, am careful to not let people get in my face, if I hear someone cough or sneeze I quickly move away. We have family gatherings outside in the summer but in the winter we basically have gone separate events with each family than all of us gathering up inside one house. Once we did but we increased the humidity. I think the most odd thing I noticed as a grandmother was the reduced nose wiping of the grand kids during all this. Before covid I was always telling them don't wipe your nose on your sleeve. Two grandson's have had it twice but got it from parents and not from schools. Their school district was slow to remove mask mandates while outlying districts removed theirs, they had outbreaks that followed. Still though when they finally got the all clear to stop wearing mask they, including the teachers were happy. I think when it was determined that younger healthier people were better off getting natural immunity it took a lot of stress off the schools. I am fortunate enough to live in a city that seems content to just let everyone decide what they want to do for themselves. Once you start forcing people to do stuff they don't want to do it makes it really difficult. I actually thought during the period of time people were forced to do it there was more hostility towards each other, once the mandates were lifted people stopped arguing with each other over it. I see a young person with a mask I just think they have an underlying condition just as they probably think I am doing it because I am older, the main thing is now is that everyone just seems to be content to make their own choice.