[jassany]

Those same guidelines were echoed by the CDC because of the PPE shortages caused by people mass buying masks and such. So they understandably designed those past guidelines to prioritize health workers who had a higher viral load than probably any of us experience from day to day activities, mask or not.

But now that masks are common place, the guidelines were evolved to reflect the new reality.

[nyokodo]

They said masks weren't effective but changed their tune after the PPE shortages were ameliorated. Predictably many people only accepted their first answer or worse, lost trust in their recommendations. They're thinking, "what are they lying about now?" This was a big public health blunder and only fanned the flames of the bizarre politicization of masks. They should have been upfront with the public and encouraged mask wearing from the beginning.