That's precisely the purpose of masking society and it has been incredibly effective.
Masking society is a powerful, persistent visual reminder that America is sick and we must obey every mandate or command issued by, well, just about anyone, especially by governors, unelected bureaucrats and their agencies (CDC; NIH; AMA; WHO, et al.) and, of course, "medical experts" who have been far more wrong than right.
Destroying the American economy (i.e., capitalism) is the second prong of the Democrat/Communist/Left Party's goal of destroying the American Republic, with neutering the U.S. Constitution as the other prong. ... And still irrationally frightened, irretrievably ignorant and unbelievably cowardly American "men" and women are going right along with it -- demanding it in some places -- even at the cost of their children's mental and physical health and their childhood because "better safe than sorry" and other such stuff.
I do suspect that this is all being done intentionally and by design for whatever nefarious purpose they are hoping to achieve. None of this makes any sense otherwise.
Destroying the American economy (i.e., capitalism) is ...
They may very well hurt the world’s economy but they will never “destroy” capitalism.
Capitalism (unlike Communism) works because it goes with human nature. A person’s labor has value if they don’t earn what they are worth they will do one of two things, stop working or enter the underground economy.
The great loser in all this will be governments tax revenue since the underground economy does not pay taxes (or fees).
(at least that is my take on how things work)