As someone with a medical degree, I have some experience with masks and their effectiveness. They don't do anything unless you can get a proper fitted mask, don't fidget with it, and dispose of it once used. Surgical masks, cloth masks, and distributed n95 masks don't fully protect yourself against the covid virus. The n95 masks only protect against .3 microns and larger, the covid is .06 -.15 microns. If you need further examples of the ineffectiveness of n95 masks, look at someone who just sanded drywall. Plus most have a "cool air vent" that allows the wearer to expel their own contaminated through that valve. Do they help? Slightly. However, if you watch how people "use" masks, they're pointless. In the hospital, we have to be properly fitted for an n95 mask and clean shaven.
So, in short, yes they can be beneficial to your health, if a proper mask was used by everyone the way it was supposed to.