OK, let me say this: the evidence for the benefit of masks is pretty weak, especially the evidence for protecting the mask-wearer. BUT, evidence for masks being harmful is non-existent. And the reason masks are recommended is to protect the people around the mask-wearer. And what did the Danish AIM paper have to say about this?
Look, science is not great at producing the answers if you don't ask precisely the right questions, and as tempting as it is to generalize, you just can't say the evidence is there when it isn't.The findings, however, should not be used to conclude that a recommendation for everyone to wear masks in the community would not be effective in reducing SARS-CoV-2 infections, because the trial did not test the role of masks in source control of SARS-CoV-2 infection. ... It is important to emphasize that this trial did not address the effects of masks as source control or as protection in settings where social distancing and other public health measures are not in effect.
Reduction in release of virus from infected persons into the environment may be the mechanism for mitigation of transmission in communities where mask use is common or mandated, as noted in observational studies. Thus, these findings do not provide data on the effectiveness of widespread mask wearing in the community in reducing SARS-CoV-2 infections
I believe that covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze is useful, and that wearing a mask does contain the wearer's snot and saliva droplets, therefore reducing the amount of virus spread around by someone who is shedding virus. It makes sense to me and I haven't yet seen evidence to the contrary. But I am willing to change my mind when that happens.
Personally, I like the recommendation to use masks when physical distance isn't possible. It makes sense to me. Wearing a mask probably reduces chance of viral spread when two people interact something like 10-50%. I admittedly pulled those numbers, however, out of my ass. I worked on an open hospital unit where nobody was masked. We had a COVID+ staff person start coughing at work. Within a week about 90% of our patients were COVID+. This was early in the year. Now all staff are masked, and patients are encouraged to mask, but not required. In the months since then, we have had several (masked at work) staff members test COVID+ but no further patients testing positive. This is not a study. It is a small population. It is an anecdote. But covering your mouth when you are sick makes sense, and in my experience masks have been part of what has slowed down spread of the virus. Maybe we're also just washing our hands more and that is sufficient. I find the objections to masks, and the idea that they are harmful, to be nonsensical from a medical perspective. I'm sympathetic to the social/political arguments, but I have yet to be convinced that there is a medical harm to wearing masks.
What "connection" are you even talking about? Did you read the NEJM paper? That would make two of us.