and in a few (A FEW) instances their wording of that recommendation was poor and might plausibly imply that masks don't work. Until Zeynep Tufekci's New York T

and in a few (A FEW) instances their wording of that recommendation was poor and might plausibly imply that masks don't work. Until Zeynep Tufekci's New York Times oped, the consensus was indeed that "masks don't work" for Covid. I documented numerous instances on social media of healthcare professionals insulting and belittling those who wore masks based on what you describe as "poor wording". Here is a Time article from 4 March that sums up the expert consensus on masks at that point (in fact it has direct quotes from experts, including an infectious diseases professor, a leading psychologist, and the Surgeon General): that masking was "superstitious", didn't work and claiming that wearing a a mask equated to knocking on wood, or not walking under a ladder. https://time.com/5794729/coronavirus-face-masks/ https://time.com/5794729/coronavirus-face-masks/