first hit, and stores were 'denuded' of even toilet paper as a result...Dr. Fauci recognized the critical shortage of surgical and N95 masks for medical personnel and at the time no one was aware that 40-45% of infected people were asymptomatic...that was a major discovery and led to strong guidelines that advised the use of even cloth masks for the original "Wild Type" virus.
Since then, we've experienced more transmissible variants that require even better quality masks (e.g. N95/KN95)...we learn, we adapt...as for counterfeit masks, it's true...they exist and are less effective, so you need to be a careful shopper...there are helpful articles on-line that will show you how to increase the odds that you purchase the right ones...for sure, look for the NIOSH approval notice...expiration date...company/location info, etc....but by all means "try" to find them...and use them.
An analogy that works for me on masking is kids and sunburns...even though it's still possible for kids to grow up and get skin cancer after being slathered with Sunblock (i.e. it's not a PERFECT means of protection)...no reasonable parent would just give up and fail to use it on their kids...because it WILL IMPROVE their odds...so, too, with masks...they're not perfect, but they do make a difference.