To further the iny and outy confusion, can the virus be air born on its own or does it have to be on a moisture molecule?
The virus has to be "shed" from the body somehow. It doesn't just pop out into the air on its own. This usually occurs when it is enveloped in mucus, saliva, etc. that gets expelled during breathing/talking/coughing/sneezing.
That moisture around it can then evaporate, leaving the virus and any other non water-based matter. This is referred to as the "non-volatile droplet nuclei" to use the technical description.
This part, which may include the virus, is usually very small (around 1 micron or less), and can stay airborne for hours and days. Initial work has shown the virus can stay infectious in this state for up to a couple of hours.
The primary point of a mask/face covering is to stop the droplet when it is larger (before it evaporates) as it is expelled. Once it evaporates (which happens on the order of seconds, depending on ambient humidity), it is so small that most face coverings will not stop you from inhaling it.
That's why it's important that everyone wears face coverings. Mine protects you (if I'm sick) and yours protects me (if you're sick). If we all wear one, we are all protected. If just one person doesn't wear one (and they are sick) then everyone is at risk of infection.
I think this is tough for some to wrap their head around because we are used to thinking of masks as protecting only ourselves from harmful things int the air. That's not how the physics of face coverings work for preventing pandemic spread, though.
As quoted in the above peer-reviewed article, not all face coverings are the same. A bandana with an opening at the bottom, or gaps all around your face just means the droplets can escape through that route (although some will still impact the face covering stopping a few). That's why some face coverings are marginally effective.
Similarly, as noted, open weave patterns (like fleece) can cause the large droplets to break up into smaller ones, which is not good. Don't wear a fleece mask. Wear a tight weave material that seals around your face/nose as much as possible.