FYIThere was an owner of a construction company on the radio last week saying that he had to back out of several jobs because all local home depots, lumber stores, pharmacies, grocery stores etc... we're sold out of face masks, so he couldn't have his crew scrape popcorn ceilings, do demolition remodels aND other various jobs with dust. I'd imagine he eventually found a source online, but it's pretty ridiculous. From what I've been reading the face masks do little to nothing for those not infected.
The shortage is in part due to diverting the masks overseas where there is quarantine and large outbreaks.
My lady works in medical and they were told mid january that they could only get 40 masks per month now, they usually go thru over 200 per month. The medical supply reps contacted all the medical facilities around here and told them the same thing. This was back when the only cases were in Wuhan.
What stores had in stock is all gone, although it seems like most stores didn't carry that many in stock anyways. They are used to being refreshed weekly with fresh stock of masks. Some medical people went to the stores and bought up the masks many weeks ago, so the shortage isn't entirely due to public panic at all.
TLDR buy stock in mask making companies...because when this blows over there is gonna be a lot of medical services and contractors stocking up on a shit load of masks so they can continue business as usual and not be caught on mask rations.