Our data provide strong evidence that following government guidance on face coverings is associated with better rather than poorer mental health and wellbeing," the team concluded.

These have to be low information individuals.  When a government tells its people that they're more susceptible to infection when not wearing a mask, of course they'll feel better.  It's a lie, and it's irresponsible for governments to continue this lie but that's what governments do.  Wearing a mask to keep you safe has to be one of the biggest hoaxes ever foisted on people.  There are no indications that masks provide significant protection, and in fact, there are indications masks might cause more harm than good.  Masks are like the old movie trope of when a mother is giving birth at home that they have the father go boil water.  It's to keep the father busy and his mind off what's really going on.  Masks give the masses something to do even if masks have no intrinsic value.  The people who really make me shake my head are those who are walking or diving by themselves and wearing a mask.  Again, low information individuals.

Sorry for the rant Ms. Laguipo.  It's not necessarily the efficacy of masks.  It comes down to human behavior.  The average individual has no idea that wearing a mask for protection is far more than simply wearing the mask.  The average person doesn't wear their masks properly.  They tend to touch their mask and face more often than if they aren't wearing a mask, and they have no idea how often a mask should be cleaned or replaced.  In my clinical settings, I only had to wear masks for short periods of time and I changed my mask between patients if I wore a mask for 2 consecutive patients.  This is never going to happen with the public.  You can have the best hepa-rated mask in the world but in the hands of the average citizen, human behavior will negate the efficacy of even the best masks.