We should all realize we all want the same thing. We all want to get back to "normal" ASAP. Can we all agree on that?
I think one thing that really gets under peoples skin is comments of it's just a bad flu and overblown. A lot of people have had direct loved ones affected and it's a pretty horrible thing. You'd have to be living under rock to seriously think this is just a bad flu. It's 10x worse. And the Flu is not anything to sneeze at (no pun intended). It hits some countries a lot harder than others due to poor care.
Another thing I think is being confused is the TYPE of masks being referenced.
When this started I was using an N95 type mask (without the Valve). They were pretty tough to use for long periods or if you exerted yourself.
Everyone was saying, how can you breath in that. I couldn't
Finally I switched to the "Surgical" masks. These are much more loose fitting. And what you mostly see these days in public. They don't seal as good but they allow you to breath easier and don't have some of the negative effects of the tight fitting N95 type masks. The Pro's outweigh the negatives (for this application, public daily use). They basically reduce the odds of you sucking in a direct hit or you sending one out. Not a guarantee at all. They have been used for decades.
Part of the reason the WHO were saying not to use "masks" by the general population is because N95 were in short supply. And that's partly what they were referring to. You need to rotate them a lot to warrant them and reserve them for direct contact situations.
You are seeing some references that a in the extremes. Like the public population using N95 or "transmission" tests using the looser fitting surgical mask with "immersed" exposure.
This is a nice summary that I don't think is biased, current and references The WHO and CDC recommendations.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-...k/art-20485449
I will say, this is the first winter I can remember in eons I didn't get an inevitable cold. Usually passes from one co-worker to another. It might be a 2 day sniffle or 2 weeks of hacking once or twice a winter. I had nothing this winter. And it was not just masks of course. All the social distancing measures contributed to that.