> I didn't want to be the one to have to say it, but neither masks nor social distancing had any scientific backing at all.

This is false. Even quick search shows multiple papers from pre-covid times that show masks being effective [0][1]. There are many more studies post-covid that show that N95/FFP2/FFP3 masks actually work if you wear them correctly (most people don't know how to do this). Educate yourself before sharing lies.

[0] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21477136/

[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19652172/