The distinction between "want" and "need" can be made in practice. Doctors have been publicizing what they know about risk factors for COVID19. If you don't fal

The distinction between "want" and "need" can be made in practice. Doctors have been publicizing what they know about risk factors for COVID19. If you don't fall into one of those categories, you're in the "want" crowd, not the "need" crowd. Which of those classifications you fall into has no correlation to your ability to afford personal protective equipment. Price gouging can easily make a scarce critical good unobtainable to poor people who need it before the price is high enough to discourage all the rich panicking hoarders/preppers.