Masks, Filters, and Folly

Evey Hammond: Who are you?
V: Who? Who is but the form following the function of what, and what I am is a man in a mask.
Evey Hammond: Well, I can see that.
V: Of course you can. I'm not questioning your powers of observation. I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is.
Evey Hammond: Oh...right.
--V for Vendetta

In the medical sense, a 'mask' is a filter. It is put over the mouth and nose to catch undesirable matter in inbound and/or outbound air flow. Two primary factors dictate the effectiveness of a filter.

One is mesh size. Think of a window screen. The larger the space between the cross hatched screen material, then the greater the likelihood of bugs getting through. Smaller mesh keeps out more bugs, but at the cost of air flow and problems with cleanliness.

The other is thickness. Rather than comprised of just a single screen, many filters are essentially multiple layers of screen that are slightly offset in order to trap more airborne matter. Think of a furnace filter. A two inch thick filter traps more dirt than a one inch filter. Once again, the tradeoff is that airflow and cleanliness are compromised.

A virus is a microscopic particle. Only filters with ultra small mesh size and/or ultrawide thickness would have a chance at snagging something so small. If people were to wear such masks, then breathing would almost surely be deterred, and the masks would be difficult to keep clean for any length of time. Consequently, health problems for mask wearers are almost certain to surface.

A mask mandate that were truly grounded in 'science' would have demonstrated the filtration effectiveness of masks with a specific mesh size and thickness without health concerns. And it would require masks that met those specifications.

Anything can be used as a face covering.

Surgical masks,
Painter masks,
Snoods,
Bandanas,
Cut up T-shirts,
Even an old tea towel with holes is accepted.

That’s because mask wearing has nothing to do with your health, but only your compliance.

— smcbride360 (@smcbride360) August 10, 2020

That is not what we have. Anything wrapped around your face will do. Even fabric with holes.

This really tells you all you need to know about the purpose behind forced masking.