This is addressed in the article. Masks are effective when worn (shocking, I tell ya); mask mandates are ineffective when ignored or when people are already masking at a high rate.
Edit: oh I see, so the theory is that case rates would have been even higher without the high compliance rates in Asia. Classic unfalsifiable hypothesis.
The Bangladesh study that even mask advocates like to cite showed a 10% reduction in transmission, hardly worth all the depersonalization and discomfort that masks impose.
> High levels of community masking, including both source patients and exposed people, have been associated with reductions in infections ranging from 10% to 80%, with more protection when there is consistent mask-wearing in high-risk areas such as households.
Not to mention the link in that paragraph, which references 18 studies supporting the effectiveness of masks: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-br...
"Consistent mask wearing in high-risk areas such as households" just lol, yeah let me wear a mask over my face 24/7 forever so I can maybe catch SARS-CoV-2 six months later than I otherwise would have.