I'm not sure about "severe consequences". If you compare Switzerland (where, although the government now recommends masks in public transport at least but almost nobody does wear a mask) and Austria (where wearing masks while shopping/in public transport etc was made mandatory when the restrictions were eased), you don't see much of a difference in the amount of new cases. I do believe masks work and I do wear one when I'm going near other people (not when I go for a run) but seeing how few people wear masks here and it seemingly not making a difference does make me wonder how essential they are, and it makes me doubt people blaming the severity of the outbreak in the US on the confused mask messaging.