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Problem is, not 1% of the public is wearing any kind of mask when out in public.

Until virtually the entire population can on a regular basis be somehow determined to be virus free, or are wearing some sort of fairly effective mask, how do the 20% of those at risk of serious illness requiring hospitalization, PLUS those in possible contact with someone in that group, not need N95 masks to avoid infection? Many in that (very large!) group are active and significant contributors to the economy.

How do we convince those who “feel ok” but might be asymptotic spreaders to “wear a mask anyway”, unless they believe there is a real threat to themselves? Ditto for the, well, “idiot” spreaders? How many people are simply not going to understand the difference? If people in this group perceive a threat to themselves sufficient to wear a mask (and this perception is NOT unjustified), they’ll demand N95 masks too.

Add all those people up and we have to be north of 1/2 of the population. That number can be whittled down a little with time.

Our health care workers are at greater risk to be sure, but, I still think we need at least a billion N95 masks a month for the next few months, to return to some semblance of safety AND economic recovery.

The first thing that needs to happen is very very simple.

CDC needs to reverse itself and declare masks are good and patriotic and necessary.

Then they need to step up and say that there is a mask shortage and we need your help, America.

Then they need to put home mask making instructions on their web page.

Then they need to drop a hard copy of all of this in the mail to every home (just like the last mailer that went out a few days ago...)

Then the President needs and everyone of the platform needs to wear some sort of mask whenever they appear in public, and refuse to allow the press to ask questions or in the WH without a mask on....

This is _not_ that difficult.

“Our health care workers are at greater risk to be sure, but, I still think we need at least a billion N95 masks a month for the next few months, to return to some semblance of safety AND economic recovery.”

That number is about right. China is making 100M per day now (but we don’t get any), and Taiwan is making 10M per day (they didn’t listen to the FluBros and immediately ramped up mask production). The pillow guy is promising something like 50,000 per week - better than nothing, but not much.

It would be nice if some of our larger companies got busy trying to make masks, but knowing how things work there, they probably gave up once they saw that they couldn’t import the rubber needed for the straps (no one told them that non-elastic laces also work).