Charlie Andersen
The year 2020 has been a year of firsts for many individuals: the first time being isolated, the first time taking online school courses, and the first time wearing a mask. Masks have been around for centuries. During the 17th century Black Plague in Europe, many doctors wore bird-like face masks with an extended beak. The purpose of this long beak was to block bad odors. Back then, doctors believed that the plague spread through “miasmas,” or bad smells. Doctors would pack the beak with “…herbs, spices, and dried flowers to ward off the odors believed to spread the plague.” Nowadays, these masks are merely a novelty item worn at Halloween parties.
Modern medical research has proven that diseases are not spread by scent, but by air molecules. During the 1918 influenza pandemic in the United States, healthcare professionals such as doctors and nurses wore cloth face masks, similar to today’s masks, when treating patients. Worldwide, many cities passed mandatory mask orders. According to Carstairs, historian Nancy Tomes “argues that mask-wearing was embraced by the American public as ‘an emblem of public spiritedness and discipline’.” Some even began creating their own masks. The Seattle Daily Times posted an article titled “Influenza Veils Set New Fashion,” which discussed this new trend. However, if a citizen did not wear a mask at all, they would be fined, imprisoned, or shamed in the newspapers as “mask slackers.” This view can be seen today whenever a mask wearer confronts a non-mask wearer in public.
In contrast, masks were unpopular in Canada during the 1918 influenza pandemic. People did not wear their masks, even after mandatory orders, except when police were nearby. On the other hand, the Japanese people adopted masks as a commodity. Even after the 1918 influenza pandemic, the Japanese people wore masks to prevent allergies. This practice “…encouraged people to take individual responsibility for their own health.” In 2009, during the H1N1 outbreak, “…the sick [tourists] were blamed for failing to wear masks while abroad.” Ironically, when the COVID-19 Pandemic hit North America, Canadians were “…some of the first people… to wear masks.” However, some have complained that masks were “…uncomfortable, unnecessary, harmful to their own health or ineffective.” Many even argued that masks make communicating difficult with elders or hearing impaired. This concern is not relevant today because companies are producing clear masks and face shields to allow the hearing impaired to be able to read lips and facial expressions.
Today, after nearly seven months in lockdown, many have grown accustomed to wearing masks. They have also come back as a fashion item since clothing accessory companies have started creating their own masks. Some speculate if the world will ever return to normalcy. Questions arise such as: Will we always have to wear a mask? Will we be in lockdown forever? or, When will my favorite restaurant open back up? There are no clear answers to these questions. However, for the greater good of our society, one must remain patient and continue to wear a mask!