Masked Preventers?

Some scientists in the UK (and counterparts in France and Germany) have been suggesting that the general public should, under some circumstances, be using medical grade facemasks (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/21/wear-medical-grade-masks-if-you-cant-self-isolate-britons-told). These are a good deal more efficient (and expensive) than the disposable or washable cloth-made alternatives. Medical grade masks are termed Full protective Filtering Face Pieces (FFPs) and they filter both inflowing and outflowing air. They deal much better with the aerosols, that you might be exposed to (and be exposing other people to), when talking. FFPs are compulsory for some things, like public transport in parts of Germany. They are also being recommended for dealing with the more infective variants of Covid-19. In the UK, they are deemed especially useful, when people are unable to socially distance. The expense (as well as disposal) aspect worries me somewhat. I have seen that, even some people working in hospitals don't get access to FFPs. People must be helped to get access to them (perhaps on a prescription?) if they are deemed essential. Otherwise, one has a situation, where your level of protection, is determined by the size of your bank balance