front line should have and correctly did get priority for it. Even so, shortly after news of COVID-10 hit, consumer stocks of n95 masks were completely wiped out. Heck, you could even find painters masks. And consumers are still hard pressed to even find isopropyl alcohol or at least were the last time I looked.

And it wasn't that masks were deemed useless for the general population, but that only the short-supply N95 (or better) masks would protect you from the possible COVID-19 infections of OTHERS, the very masks that those on the front line deserve and 5 months later, are still in short supply. It's recently been estimated that we are currently 30M short of the predicted 160M need.

Pre-mask-recommendation, scientist were also still in the process of discovering exactly how this NOVEL coronavirus propagates, and probably still are. They've never encountered anything like it and continue to be amazed by it. So it became prudent to recommend even just cloth face masks, even just bandannas, just to help mitigate the spread of YOUR possible COVID-19 infection to others.