I agree with you 100%. I am much more inclined to believe someone who is confident enough to say "we don't know". We have a scientific method to test things we don't know and sometimes the conclusion is "we still don't know". I have rarely, if ever, disagreed with Osterholm. I don't know why people are still arguing about face masks. Get the vaccine. Wear the best face mask you can, but no matter what, get the vaccine. That's what Osterholm is saying. That's what every respected scientist in the world is saying. Get the damn vaccine. Oh, and wear the best mask you can and avoid large groups of people.
I know I have participated in this thread and am still in favor of wearing a mask, but the folks who say "masks don't work" are not entirely wrong. There are 1000 shades of grey when it comes to masks and how effective they are. Mask mandates are not effective because most people are either not willing or are unable to wear an effective mask and wear it properly. However, if you are anti-mask, you better be pro-vaccine because if you trust the data that says masks don't work, you sure as hell should trust the data that proves that vaccines do.
We are severely lacking in education and logic in this country. You don't need a phd in virology to know that it's a bad idea to be in a huge group of people during a pandemic. Of course distancing is the best thing you can do short of getting a vaccine. You also don't need to be a genius to understand that if your mouth and nose are visible, your mask isn't being worn correctly. If you can blow out a candle through your mask, it's not helping you or anyone else. The problem is people are selfish pricks. They don't want to isolate and they don't want to wear a mask that might be uncomfortable to wear. They don't want to get a vaccine. We are a country of selfish, uneducated pricks.