[ironmagma]

I think it’s a textbook example of poor science communication. The words of science do not mean to the public what they mean to scientists. Further, it’s safest to assume the worst in a situation like that. I think they should have erred on the side of “assume it’s airborne.”

Unfortunately, special interests (hospitals and other medical groups) had an incentive (security of their own access to masks) to mis-state the facts.