What makes you think the masks do not work? What do you think they are intended to do?
We've been able to see what worked and didn't since many places were different things.
in the places where masks were mandated cases increased exponentially regardless and sometimes even more than places where it wasnt mandated.
Viral cases are always on some exponential curve. The places with masks see a lower exponential curve. Masks are only mandated when not enough people choose to wear them.
Where I live masks were voluntarily work by many, and the mandates came later. Places where people followed the basic guidelines they saw lower infection rates.