It took them 2 full years to finally admit what most of us have known the whole time. Via NY Times:
The C.D.C. concedes that cloth masks do not protect against the virus as effectively as other masks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday clarified its stance on various kinds of masks, acknowledging that the cloth masks frequently worn by Americans do not offer as much protection as surgical masks or respirators.
While this disparity is widely known to the general public, the update marks the first time the C.D.C. has explicitly addressed the differences. The agency’s website also no longer refers to a shortage of respirators.
The change comes as infections with the highly contagious Omicron variant continue to soar. Some experts have said that cloth masks are inadequate to protect from the variant, and have urged the C.D.C. to recommend respirators for ordinary citizens.
You knew the whole “wear a mask” thing was B.S. because there was no specific definition of what qualified as an effective mask. Neck gaiter? Counts as a mask. Bandana? Counts as a mask.
It has obviously been cosmetic theater the whole time. The masks were not intended to keep you safe from the virus; they were intended to give the neurotic and insane people a false sense of security.
N95 respirators, so named because they can filter out 95 percent of all airborne particles when used correctly, were in short supply early in the pandemic. At the time, the C.D.C. and the World Health Organization both repeatedly said that ordinary citizens did not need to wear masks unless they were sick and coughing.
The C.D.C. also said regular surgical masks were “an acceptable alternative” for doctors and nurses when interacting with a patient infected with the coronavirus — a move that angered medical personnel.
Critics charged that the recommendations were based not on what would best protect Americans, and were instead prompted by a shortage of N95 respirators.
When the C.D.C. finally recommended masks for ordinary Americans, it emphasized cloth face coverings. It took months more for the C.D.C. and the W.H.O. to concede that the coronavirus can be carried by tiny droplets called aerosols, which can linger indoors for hours.
Trust the Science™, even if it changes every few months.