In February, the Surgeon General said that masks aren't effective at stopping the spread of coronavirus. The WHO said "Not having a mask does not necessarily put you at any increased risk of contracting this disease". The director of the CDC said that you shouldn't wear a mask if you're healthy.

They were all lying to the public about masks to cover for the fact that there weren't enough for healthcare workers.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/health/coronavirus-n95-fa...