[Jim Noble]

You know, correlation is not causation.

Mask use probably correlates with risk of harm from COVID, show me age/sex/BMI matched data before I buy it.

[consult]

This study was massive and thus hard to argue against it. Given that 16/17 Randomized clinical trials show no benefit with face masks preventing viruses and the concern that face masks leads to extra touching (and thus hand contamination).....it’s the reason Fauci and every other expert said during the initial month of the pandemic....until they were silenced and the entire medical establishment went with masks (holding up the proof of modelling and observational studies....less proof than this study).

Forcing masks was all about compliance / control.

[AndyTheBear]

...show me age/sex/BMI matched data before I buy it.

The article did not seem to have a link to the study, but I found it The "Study Design" section says:

This analysis aimed to verify whether mask usage was correlated with COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Daily data on COVID-19 cases and deaths and on mask usage were obtained for all European countries. The rationale behind the choice of European countries for comparison was fourfold:

1. availability and reliability of data;
2. a relative population homogeneity and shared history of epidemics (comparing countries from different continents may bring too many confounding factors)
3. similar age stratification and access to health assistance; and
4. divergent masking policies and different percentages of mask usage among the different populations, despite the fact that the entire continent was undergoing an outburst of COVID-19 at the time period analysed in this study.