Treating PPE usage as primarily a political messaging symbol rather than a matter of protective prudence is a pathology with a long history. It happened during Ebola and SARS: thenewatlantis.com/publications/t… 
During Ebola, one paper said that doctors wearing respirators "fans a culture of mistrust and cynicism about our nation’s public health agency. As health care professionals, we strive to provide evidence-based care driven by science rather than by the media or mass hysteria."
During SARS, "authorities assured nurses that they did not need any respiratory protection, some took it upon themselves to wear N95 respirators anyway, and were chided by doctors that this would scare patients."
SARS was later confirmed to be transmissible through air.
SARS was later confirmed to be transmissible through air.
Oh, and the WHO and several major media outlets just two months ago said that wearing masks was not only unnecessary but counterproductive, with an implication that it is only something hysterical people do:
One well-known science journalist coined the term "Ebolanoia" to mock people who took what she considered excessive precautions, often involving PPE. She even devoted a Tumblr to it: germgirl.tumblr.com
To be clear: in each case it was corrosive of the credibility of medical experts, public health authorities, and science journalists, and difficult to label anything other than malicious.
