Great example. So, we know that masks were part of the mitigation efforts of which student's test scores dropped dramatically, millions of people were put financially at risk, many refused to go to the hospital and were late to cancer diagnosis, murders spiked, mental health devolved, etc. So yes some people died because of the fear that wearing masks engendered. What part did masks play in all that? A epidemiologist might try to figure it out, but his results would be tentative at best and we will never know exactly what part masks played in all this. Complex systems are tough to get exact answers, just like global warning, as a complex system, is tough to get exacting answers.