Okay....when the masks are good enough that you can’t smell a direct fart, I’d say it approaches efficacy. Otherwise, it’s just a baby’s pacifier to keep one placated while they’re being oppressed by government. It’s all about the power and control. Nothing more.
I’ve told people the same thing. If you can smell my mucho grandito burrito, then you ain’t stopping a virus.
It never failed to amuse me on cold winter days during the height of the pandemic, seeing all that frozen breath coming from all those masks people were wearing.
Oh yeah. Very effective.