The year 2021 was the year in which the use of protective masks took hold around the world, as a ubiquitous reminder of the health emergency that, in December, reached its second year: the fight against the Covid-19 virus.
After dawning in Wuhan, China, and spreading around the world in a matter of weeks, health agencies around the world quickly realized that even relatively simple disposable masks, if worn correctly over the mouth and nose, were a great help for prevent the spread of the virus.
And so, masks became part not only of our daily lives but also of the main events of 2021. See below, an overview recalling this development.
the vacancy
The planet’s tourist sites were largely deserted as the world received 2021 — in part due to the growth of the delta variant, a highly transmissible mutation of the virus, first observed in October 2020.
All-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic only reopened after several months, but many tourists were wary of going on vacation in the midst of the pandemic.
Political advertising
Masks have become a new form of advertising and a vehicle for viral messages, especially in the political field.
In this image, US Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene displays a face mask with the slogan “Trump won” in reference to the unfounded belief that the Democratic Party’s victory in the 2020 US presidential election would have been the result of electoral fraud.
Defensive measures
Two major sporting events scheduled for the northern hemisphere summer 2020 were finally held in 2021. One of them was the European football championship, Euro 2020, which took place in several cities — from Seville, Spain, to Baku, Azerbaijan .
Despite the championship being held in open stadiums, it caused serious outbreaks of infection due to the huge movement of fans in airports, hotels and stadiums. Even players had to adhere to the rules, wearing masks when not on the playing field.
Golden Rule
An even bigger spectacle took place in late summer in the northern hemisphere: the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, between late July and early August.
The games, scheduled for 2020, had also been postponed. With vaccination campaigns in full swing, it was expected that the event would be much safer if held a year later. Athletes were required to wear masks at all Olympic venues — even on the podium, to receive medals.
There were fears that competitions would need to be played in empty venues — and this was, in fact, the recommendation of Japan’s leading scientist. .
And there was another rule that was much more difficult to follow: celebrations had been banned.
comfort in the cold
Far from the glamor and spectacle of international sports, Covid-19 was also felt in other physical activities.
This skier, near the cable car at the Alpe d’Huez ski resort in France, was forced to wear a mask. In the UK, Health Director Chris Whitty said it was not necessary for runners to wear masks outdoors, but other medical experts were not so sure.
In March, Italian scientists found that wearing masks was safe even during high-intensity exercise, as they reduce oxygen inhalation by just 10% and greatly reduce the likelihood of spreading the virus in gyms, for example.
constant company
Masks soon became a vital part of everyday life, like wallets and cell phones for many. The ritual of looking for a mask when leaving the house has become as common as the search for keys.
The need for masks was even greater in overcrowded cities and communities, as in parts of India — which suffered terrible losses in spring and summer as the delta variant swept across the country.
In the photo above, an Indian sadhu —or holy, mystic man— wears a mask while bathing in the Ganges River in April during the Kumbh Mela festival (the main festival of Hinduism) in the Indian city of Haridwar.
cultural changes
Masks could be seen even on the most exclusive red carpets, such as at the Cannes Film Festival in France.
Many of these events had been postponed or held online in 2020 due to the pandemic, and the masks were a visible sign that the world was still a long way from getting back to normal. The film industry spent much of the year in relative lockdown, with some of its biggest releases — such as the James Bond movie “No Time to Die” — being pushed back several times as lockdown restrictions persisted.
a moment without masks
Many political leaders were required to wear masks at all public events, enhancing their effectiveness for the public.
In stark contrast to his predecessor Donald Trump — who appeared unmasked right through to political rallies in the run-up to the 2020 election — US President Joe Biden has always worn masks. In the summer, he urged Americans to wear masks indoors, given Covid-19’s soaring death toll.
In this image, he is seen kissing his wife Jill Biden on the White House lawn in January, before a trip to a military hospital.
Ecumenical issue?
In November 2020, Pope Francis — the leader of 1.3 billion Catholics in the world — called people who refused to wear masks “selfish”.
The pontiff received criticism in 2020 for not always wearing masks in public settings and appears to have taken those criticisms seriously. In 2021, he regularly appeared wearing a mask at the weekly general audiences held at the Vatican.
In the United States, some churches urged their congregations to wear masks to help quell the spread of the disease, but others resisted. Some even offered “religious exemptions” so that people could disregard requirements for masks and vaccinations in the workplace.
behind the masks
A pandemic world needs a huge amount of masks.
Just one company — the US conglomerate 3M — produced about 2.5 billion masks in 2021. That number was four times the amount produced in 2019 (before the pandemic) and a sign of the immense effort being devoted to production of masks around the world.
Reports indicated that many smaller companies in the United States that switched to manufacturing masks with the onset of the pandemic in 2020 ended up with huge stockpiles of masks that went unsold as Chinese companies produced large quantities at lower prices.
covering the face
Public health agencies urged people to wear masks — and to wear them correctly, covering their mouth and nose during use.
And when they are out of use? Would it be safer to hang it on your arm or put it in your pocket or bag?
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made this point clear: don’t carry an unused mask dangling over your arm or around your neck to prevent it from becoming more contaminated. According to 3M’s own instructions on the use of masks, you should also not keep them in your pocket or bag between use.
And for those who wear reusable masks, it’s important to wash them regularly.
The pandemic shows no signs of slowing down, at least for the foreseeable future — and it looks like masks will continue to be one of our most visible weapons in the battle to overcome it.
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