factcheck.org/…/correcting-misinformation-about-d…

“At the time, Fauci said he was “not against” anyone wearing a mask if they wanted to, but he warned that if everyone wore them it “could lead to a shortage of masks for the people who really need it,” particularly health care providers and people who were ill.

Then in April 2020, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that everyone wear face coverings in public because of virus transmission from asymptomatic carriers, Fauci also began encouraging universal mask use. He said in an interview two months later that he and other health officials truly did not realize the degree to which infected people without symptoms were spreading the virus, which led to the shift in masking guidance. That does not mean that he “lied” to the public.”

Fauci wasn’t part of the CDC. His opinion was incorrect and he swiftly corrected himself when he had seen the right information. His earlier statement was in Feb and was misfounded.

There were no mask shortages like there was no toilet paper shortages.