That is not how virus exposure works, and this is long established science.
Let's take 2 cases, assuming a healthy and ready immune system.
1- Wearing a mask in the grocery store, getting a bit of spray from a passing person. You breathe in (guessing for example sake) a few thousand viruses, infecting a few spots in your lungs. They get in you, start doing their thing, and within a day or two your immune system is triggered, isolating the infected spots, and killing them off, before they even start spreading significantly. You get a very mild bit of cold symptoms and then it's gone.
2- Not wearing a mask, having a loud argument at close distance with an infectious person. You breath in millions of viruses, basically saturating your lungs with virus infection. Within a day or two, your immune system is fighting a HUGE battle, and your lungs are headed towards being inflamed everywhere, which can knock you flat on your ass. Your immune system has to mount a massive response, and that can trigger other bad things.
Best outcome is never catching any given virus. But if we do, best case is a mild infectious dose, countered by a strong immune system, leaving us with mild sickness at most, and lasting immunity.
That is not how virus exposure works, and this is long established science.
Let's take 2 cases, assuming a healthy and ready immune system.
1- Wearing a mask in the grocery store, getting a bit of spray from a passing person. You breathe in (guessing for example sake) a few thousand viruses, infecting a few spots in your lungs. They get in you, start doing their thing, and within a day or two your immune system is triggered, isolating the infected spots, and killing them off, before they even start spreading significantly. You get a very mild bit of cold symptoms and then it's gone.
2- Not wearing a mask, having a loud argument at close distance with an infectious person. You breath in millions of viruses, basically saturating your lungs with virus infection. Within a day or two, your immune system is fighting a HUGE battle, and your lungs are headed towards being inflamed everywhere, which can knock you flat on your ass. Your immune system has to mount a massive response, and that can trigger other bad things.
Best outcome is never catching any given virus. But if we do, best case is a mild infectious dose, countered by a strong immune system, leaving us with mild sickness at most, and lasting immunity.