Were the masks found before Sale had his surgery? Regardless, every mask counts. If one extra mask saves one person's life, or even save's one person from having to be hospitalized, thereby freeing up a bed and ventilator for someone else, then it's not inconsequential.
I have stated that in the big picture, one mask is inconsequential. On an individual level, it is not.
And yes, much of it is about how it looks. It looks terrible, and it sounds a bad message.