The initial CDC rejection was based on what was well known: touching eyes, nose, and mouth with contaminated hands can infect a person. The CDC reversal came about before any great change in information about the virus itself, so it wasn't like you suddenly couldn't get it by having the virus on your hands and touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. No, the CDC reversal came after public outcry, even though the human behavior the CDC feared in its initial advisement proved spot on. Properly worn, masking helped contain infection by preventing the spread of droplets from the mouth and nose. That's been known since surgeons first started masking up. The point of the first CDC advisory was that people not knowing what they were doing would make it worse.
Surely you noticed people masking their mouths and leaving their nose uncovered. Surely you noticed people masking without so much as using hand sanitizer. Surely you noticed people putting masks down on public tables, then putting them back on. Surely you noticed people fiddling with them, again without sanitizing their hands before or after. That was the initial concern of the CDC. That was before they reversed themselves on the public masking.
The point is that government advisories can and do change with the political winds. The CDC reversal on masking is a good example. The solution is to have a fifty pound block of salt handy when going over such. But don't worry: When the Democrats go back in, it will all change again, probably more to the liking of some here. There it will be until administrations change again. That's how such things work.
