3M has ramped up its surge capacity to produce 1 billion N95 masks by the end of this year. Small businesses across the country are repurposing their factories for mask production as well. So we may finally see a deluge of masks on the market after a critical dearth at the beginning of the coronavirus crisis.

Although medical professionals need all protective gear before anyone else, we need to talk about everyone else. Note, for example, that widespread mask use in South Korea and Japan does not seem to have hurt anyone.