Protection was and still is marked at a percentage less than 100% but still useful. The people being ridiculed were saying there was no point because it’s not 100% without realizing that the lowered percentage or ratio of spread when BOTH parties are wearing even an ill fitting mask. The difference is not negligible. It’s really a math equation between two social parties in the end. People wearing masks often lower their protection even lower because they wear the same mask every day or after every exposure without washing or by constantly touching it.

In general, I disagree with the “ridicule” but instead, trying a new or different way of explaining it.