[endgame]

Here's the link, for those who don't remember: https://twitter.com/Uncle_Muscle/status/1246243641439457280 (Screenshotted reply to a CDC tweet.)

We call this "lying to manage supply", which is worse than negligence. The US Surgeon-General could have instead said something like "We need the best masks for healthcare workers because they are at the most risk, but we don't have enough right now. Here's how to sew your own cloth masks: $LINK. The general population is at lower risk, so please leave rated respirators for healthcare, where they can do the most good."

The Czech republic told its citizens to make masks for each other. That could have been a good move too.