[Mom MD]

Your picture fails to show the particles leaking around the sides top and bottom of the mask. And this is an airborne virus as well. masks do redirect the particles down where everyone can put their paws on them and spread the freely. They do not reduce disease transmission

In addition no study has shown sufficient viral particles in respiratory exhalation in asymptomatic individuals to be infectious anyways. The magic talismen do not work. the states with the strictest masking guidelines have some if the highest rates of disease. Kind of like gun laws stopping gang shootings.....

[2aProtectsTheRest]

The study I linked to goes into detail about all of that. That's why I linked the study instead of only providing the graphic: because they give a lot more information than what's in that singular graphic. Here's another graphic from the same study at the same link:

Fomite transmission is still purely theoretical. No documented cases of fomite transmission that I'm aware of and the CDC doesn't list fomites as a primary transmission vector for SARS-CoV-2. Yes, people improperly touch their masks to put them on and remove them, but that's an education issue; not a problem with the masks themselves.

"the states with the strictest masking guidelines have some if the highest rates of disease."

That's a comment on the effectiveness of government mandates; not masks. A state can mandate whatever they'd like. If people ignore the mandate or practice malicious compliance (advocated here all the time with talk of mesh masks, cutting holes in masks, etc.) Again, not a problem with the masks. A properly made, properly worn mask reduces the volume and the range of the droplets that are the primary source of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.