This was a great informative thread with rational discussion until BlisswithaKriss shows up and spouts all political nonsense again.
As for the shortage of N95 masks, seems that when Obama was President they gave out 75% of the stockpile for emergencies. They never got replenished. The first year or two was about increasing prices too much because of dramatic increase in demand. Probably realistic to scale back, but it never kept on a program to keep buying N95 masks. To be fair, doesn't matter who is in charge, that is the way Federal bureaucracy works most of the time. Of course the press blames who ever is in charge the day they are needed.