Actually, the notion that drugs can alter your perception - including for the better - is far from crazy.
And the statement you quote Fauci make - which he had revised many times, without much of an explanation - maybe his sanest on the subject. Masks may be useful as a virus spread preventative under certain limited circumstances - but they are quite useless in the majority of situations. And when you see people walking around in masks on a sunny day you can be all but sure these masks make no difference as far as potential spread of COVID of flu - but may indeed endanger the wearer's health as they serve as a collector and breeding ground for all sorts of pathogens.