The whole mask discourse has been heavily riddled with communication and terminology errors since the very beginning. A mask is not a respirator, yet the two o

The whole mask discourse has been heavily riddled with communication and terminology errors since the very beginning. A mask is not a respirator, yet the two of these are regularly confused not just in the public discourse, but were even confused in official messaging during the beginning of the pandemic. The WHO and health agencies the world over were suddenly asking people to "prioritize masks for at risk groups", which in some places was parsed as "no need to wear masks", as everybody was struggling to get medical masks, and particularly respirators, for the HCW treating infected patients.