None of this is news.

Remember that the primary purpose of the mask is to protect other people from you if you are sick - not to protect YOU from walking through crowds of diseased maskless people at a super-spreader event.

So when the CDC is releasing recommendations, they are talking first and foremost about what protects OTHER PEOPLE - and only secondarily about what protects YOU.

If you are interested in protecting YOURSELF and it's more than just a few minutes (e.g. you're sitting on an airplane, not just walking through the grocery store), then you need to wear an N95 or KN95.

If you're protecting OTHER PEOPLE, then a professionally-fitted N95 is the best, followed by an N95/KN95 purchased off of Amazon, followed by a surgical mask, followed by a cloth mask.

Early on, the CDC said don't wear a mask because they are needed for medical professionals. Then they said wear anything - you are trying to protect other people and just cover your face. Now that everything is widely available and shortages are not an issue, they are focusing on the best way to protect yourself (and others).