Masks can reduce the chances of catching the covid, but does nothing to prevent continuous spread of the covid by the unmasked. This means the covid will continue to spread, and need for masking will being years or decades long thing.

Though I do think the 'stop the spread' ship has sailed years ago. The covid is too wide spread from not having proper plans early on, the economy has taken too big of a hit at this point to try another proper covid control attempt, and the covid's wide spread existence internationally means the disease will make it back into the US sooner or later.

The early years were key and we dropped the ball, and our next generation will have to live with this thing long term. They'll have to live with the masks being a forever thing or live life normally and find out how bad the life expectancy and quality drops with long covid damage.