This sums it up nicely. There is no evidence, I’ve searched and searched and there is nothing. Basically, from what I can make out, there is evidence that face coverings stop large droplets of saliva being expelled when somebody coughs, sneezes, or is talking loudly for example. But that’s common sense, we use tissues for a similar purpose (not for the latter though). Masks simply remove the need for people to practice good hygiene, and frankly, manners.
Lets rewind a few years and look at some research carried out long before COVID-19 arrived:
I’ll quote the following as this is what I firmly believe is happening in the real world today (and remember this was in a medical setting):
Masks are very likely doing more harm than good, due to the type(s) people are wearing and their incorrect use, as well as the fact that they have replaced social distancing. That politicians (and others) repeated claims that they save lives beggars belief quite frankly (the claims made by democrats in the USA are an extreme example!). In my opinion they’re simply a desperate but highly visible response introduced by clueless politicians who need to be seen to be doing something.