I am very reluctantly sticking my nose in here, but I am hoping to provide some missing clarification.
First and foremost, it cannot be said often enough or with enough emphasis how appreciative my family and I are for these front-line workers that are keeping society going these days, and grocery workers are among the “foremostiest” of these.
This discussion is actually revolving around two types of facial coverings, N95-rated filter masks, and simple facial coverings such as surgical masks and cloths. The former offers protection *to *the wearer, and the latter offers protection *from *the wearer. Back in early March, health experts were telling the public two different things: “don’t wear masks, we need them for the healthcare workers” (this was meant to reference N95 masks), and “simple masks won’t protect you, though they may stop you from spreading your oral spew”. This may or may not have been decent advice at the time, but it certainly was the prevailing wisdom. Hereis a column talking about this confusing and ultimately self-defeating advice.
A month and an eternity later, and now the advice is for everyone to wear simple face masks, because so many people do not know and have no way of knowing if they themselves are carrying and infectious. People are wearing the simple masks to protect others, not themselves (yes, yes, there is data that says simple masks offer some protection, but nowhere near N95-level protection). Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers, exposed to known carriers for hours every day, need the N95 masks, and there is a nation-wide shortage of N95 masks, so there is, naturally and obviously, going to be controversy on how N95 masks are allocated until there are enough to go around.
Should everyone be wearing a simple facemask these days? In my opinion, of course. The person without the facemask is the potential threat to me, because my simple facemask won’t offer adequate protection from him - so he is the one at fault here. If both parties are wearing simple masks as well as practicing physical distancing, then you are both adhering to current best practices.
I have not seen anyone wishing death on anyone - not grocery workers, not nurses, not garbage collectors, not anyone. Nor do I see the advice that health care workers the ones exposed to known carriers for hours each and every day, get priority for the N95 masks as de facto wishing harm on anyone not a healthcare worker.
Wear your masks, but just as importantly, make sure anyone you’re interacting with is also wearing a mask. You’re looking out for each other.