What's particularly awful about the whole mask thing is how inconsistent the medical experts were.

At first they said that n95 masks needed to be reserved and procured for medical professionals, first responders, etc. and that masks wouldn't be helpful for the general populace. This brings up an interesting conundrum: If face coverings were so important to contain the virus, why did they actively discourage their use for months? If any kind of face covering is acceptable now, why weren't they being pushed at the start of this?