Before covid, I would be sick with a cold or flu for a total of about two weeks every year. That means I spent 4% of my time sick; one out of every 25 days. Since covid appeared, I’ve been wearing an N95 in crowded indoor areas whenever I reasonably can. (Obviously I can’t if I’m eating something.) My main goal initially was to protect my elderly relatives, but during the last four years I have not gotten sick even once, except from my elderly relatives who didn’t wear masks, got sick, and then infected me when I was caring for them.
Why isn’t everyone wearing N95s? Sure, it’s uncomfortable, but being sick is much more uncomfortable. And then there’s the fact that wearing an N95 protects other people and not just the wearer…
Once a year is about how often I get sick. Even if wearing a face mask would bring that to zero it still wouldn’t be worth it because dealing with the mask every day is a bigger inconvenience that being sick for a few days a year.