It is tempting to blame solely the CDC, but I think there is just as much to blame to go around on the general public. Almost everyone was getting on their soap

It is tempting to blame solely the CDC, but I think there is just as much to blame to go around on the general public. Almost everyone was getting on their soapbox on social media to shame people who were wearing masks or trying to acquire a mask. Yes I know there’s a difference between an N95 respirator and a cloth mask. But that’s beside the point. If the virus can be transmitted over an air gap, then people should be able to buy whatever face covering they want to contain the risk to themselves or their family maximally. And there’s nothing morally wrong with them trying to acquire the highest degree of protection possible, including N95 respirators. Predictably someone is going to respond to this comment and say that the mask is more necessary for medical professionals or that it is more to prevent particles from exiting your own mouth towards others. The former might be true but it is totally okay for people to want to prioritize their own health. And as for the latter - clearly the reverse transmission is very possible (particles into your mouth/nose) and it is just a matter of time before everyone acknowledges this more openly and starts recommending N95s (most likely once supply constraints are alleviated and the lies are no longer needed). Just as a reminder: the WHO, possibly at China’s behest, claimed even as late as the middle of January that the virus wasn’t transmissible between humans, a month after Wuhan doctors observed exactly this. It took several weeks for airborne transmission on particles to be acknowledged. And then weeks again to note that the virus can linger on various surfaces and materials. The lesson to be learned is to trust personal judgment and common sense. Be self reliant, and don’t put faith in random authorities who’ve done little to earn your trust. EDIT: this article discusses the WHO’s failures in this whole fiasco and how they are a political organization, more than a trustworthy medical organization: https://www.ft.com/content/2a70a02a-644a-11ea-a6cd-df28cc3c6a68 https://www.ft.com/content/2a70a02a-644a-11ea-a6cd-df28cc3c6...