I hear you. I tend to be drawn to contradictions. So, I'm picking at one here. Not disagreeing but what you say contradicts what general messages from health care providers. I realize this isn't a clearly delineated issue. If you are talking about the "N95" mask, then yes, it can be a good PPE and they are in short supply. The guidance there to the general public is, don't buy them, they are needed by health workers to keep them from getting sick.
Regarding surgical masks:
COVID-19 can cause a number of symptoms that may appear several days after exposure. The most common symptoms are cough, fever and shortness of breath. The virus is primarily spread by respiratory droplets transmitted via close contact (within 6 feet) with an infected person, according to the...
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org
"The current recommendations regarding masks are that if you yourself are sick with fever and cough, you can wear a surgical mask to prevent transmission to other people. If you are healthy, there is not thought to be any additional benefit to wearing a mask yourself because the mask is not airtight and does not necessarily prevent breathing in of these viral particles, which are very tiny," says
Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist.