Today, everyone is familiar with the usage of medical masks as a way to reduce the spread of infectious viruses like COVID-19. Mask use has not always been something people have done. The history of the medical mask goes back much further than most people realize.
Evidence exists that suggests dancers in China were using the sleeves of their garments to block dust from entering their lungs when they were performing as early as 3000 years ago. The first known masks that were created to specifically to block environmental contagions from entering the lungs during inhalation date back over 2000 years ago when Roman scholar, Pliny the Elder, used animal bladder skins to cover the nose and mouth to protect his lungs from the toxins released in the dust from grinding pigments to make paint. During the 14th century, Marco Polo described visiting the Chinese emperor. He had his slaves cover thier faces with silk coverings when serving his meals so their breath would not contaminate the food. In the 15th century, Leonardo da Vinici placed wet clothes on his face to keep paint & plaster dust from getting into lungs. This method is still recommended for people trying to escape from house fires as the wet cloth will trap the particulates in the smoke before it enters your lungs.
The first medical masks seem to originate during the 17th century Black Plague in Europe. The typical “plague doctor” beak masks covered the entire face, glass portals allowed sight and the beak was filled with aromatics to keep the disease at bay. These iconic masks were invented by the French doctor, Charles de Lorme. In 1861, the presence of bacteria in the air was detected by scientist Louis Pasteur. After this, doctors began wearing masks during epidemics so that they could limit the spread of bacteria. It became common for women to use lace veils during this time to help filter the air they breathed in. Dr. Carl Georg Friedrich Wilhelm FlÜgge developed the droplet theory of infection in 1897. He posited that microorganisms were expelled from the respiratory tract as a means of transmission.
Surgical masks were first proposed in 1897 as well. Polish surgeon Dr. Johann Freherr von Mikulicz-Radecki suggested a single layer of gauze could make an effective surgical mask. Dr. W. Huber recommended adding a second layer of gauze to increase the efficiency of the masks worn during operations. A 1905 publication by Dr. Alice Hamilton posited that Scarlett Fever was transmitted via respiratory drops, but widespread use of surgical masks did not become common in operating rooms and hospitals until 1910. By 1915, fine-mesh gauze masks were being used in hospitals for patients, as a way to protect the health care personnel caring for those with infantile paralysis. In 1918, Dr. George Weaver first suggested sterilizing masks after they became moist during use and recommended against touching masks once the health care personnel came into contact with sick patients.
Masks originally started out as a single layer of gauze or lace, then they advanced to being made out of several layers of gauze, but they were re-usable. The first prototype of today’s medical mask was invented by Malaysian doctor, Wu Lien-teh. He went to northern China during an outbreak of the pneumonic plague to investigate. His mask had several layers of gauze covered by a cotton envelope. He added strings so that it could be tied to the head in such a way that the ears helped hold the mask up. These became popular during pandemics like the flu of 1918. Surgical mask usage declined in the 1940s when antibiotics were invented, but it wasn’t long before the importance of masks became apparent and they were firmly reestablished as essential for surgical procedures by the 1950s. Filters were added to masks in 1958 by Drs. J.C. Kiser and C.R. Hitchcock. The fitted disposable mask was introduced in 1961 by Dr. M.M. Musselman. Finally, the modern gold-standard N95 mask was developed by 3M and introduced in the 1970s.
Many studies have been published that address the efficacy of wearing medical masks as a means to protect against infection. A Health Affairs study of the COVID-19 growth rate before the mask mandates were introduced in 2020 vs. growth rates after implementation of mandatory masking mandates show that the daily growth rate of new COVID-19 cases had slowed by 2% three weeks after mask mandates had been put into place by 15 states and the District of Columbia. This drop in infection rates indicate that the mask mandates put into place helped reduce the spread of the infection. A ResearchGate study examined the death rates in 198 countries due to COVID-19 outbreaks. They found that countries that had government regulations or cultural practices in place favoring mask mandates had lower death rates. These studies provide evidence that mask requirements in public can help contain and reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Mask usage also appears to be a contributing factor for a long-term reduction in the mortality rates associated with the pandemic.
Since it seems medical mask usage in the general public is going to be a long-term trend, what can be done to help make masks more fun for the general public to use? There are many social ways that masks can be utilized, in addition to providing medical protection. Many people have complained that mandatory mask requirements may have a social impact that they feel could be detrimental to the populace over time. In order to consider if these social risks can be minimized, let’s consider ways that masks can be used to make positive social impacts.
There are actually many ways to have fun with face masks.
Show off your unique style
They can be used to do things that showcase your personality, display your preferences, show support for causes you support, and promote your personal interests through the masks you select to wear. One thing you can do to show off your individuality and personality is by coordinating your mask with your wardrobe selection. Look for masks that match each outfit you wear. Everyone may find it is more fun to wear masks if you look forward to opportunities to display your choice as a fashion statement. You may find some surprising joy and entertainment in displaying your mask selections to your family, friends, and colleagues. In this manner you may find that you look forward to wearing each new mask in public, instead of finding them to be a burden. Masks do not need to be viewed as an obstacle that obstructs your personality and interferes with the way you engage with the outside world, if you make your mask reflect you and your personality each and every time you put one on. The colors, patterns and styles of masks you select can actually be used to enhance your public appearance instead of hiding it. Masks can be used to make a fashion statement, so try to find a mask that you really like and then create an outfit that goes with the mask.
Make masks a part of a fun competition
Compete with friends or family members to encourage one another to adopt positive health choices and have fun at the same time. See who has the most creative mask idea each day and keep a score board. At the end of the week or the month, the person with the highest score gets a prize, like a new item of clothing with a matching mask, or they get to choose their favorite meal or restaurant to visit. If you do not want to spend money, maybe the winner can select a silly mask for the loser(s) to wear the following week or they get to pick a game to play or movie to watch with you.
Masks can be used to make statement
Masks can also be used to make a personal statement or to show support for a given cause. By incorporating the logos of organizations, teams, causes, or schools you support, you can actually share information and your viewpoint with others without the need to go into an in-depth conversation about each topic. They will be able to glance at your mask and understand that you feel strongly enough about the cause to wear a mask displaying your support. This is a very visual way to make your preferences and viewpoints known to those you encounter every day, but may never have a conversation with.
Masks can be used for business marketing or promotion
You can use masks as a way to market your business or promote yourself. You can design and sell masks with your personal or business logo. You can also make fun designs of your own and sell them in order to make extra money for yourself or as a way to raise funds for an organization or cause you believe in.You can wear a mask as a way to show remembrance for someone you care about. Put their name, face, or a symbol reminding you of them on your mask. Everytime that you wear it, you will remember the person that it is associated with.
Let masks inspire creativity
If you want a fun way to engage with your friends and family members, you can get together and express your creativity by doing an activity that the whole family (or group) can enjoy. You can purchase simple masks in plain colors from just about any store. You can take things such as buttons, thread, glue, glitter, iron on patches, ribbon and any other decorative elements you can think of to truly customize your new mask so you can make it all your own. This is an activity that is sure to delight the young people in your family, but also provide a creative outlet for the adults to explore as well. Have fun with it, let your imagination go and see what cool new designs you can come up with. If you use the masks as an outlet for your creativity, you may just find that wearing a mask is not as burdensome as you may have thought it would be. If you introduce an element of fun, you may discover that you wake up one day looking forward to putting on your new mask with a sense of anticipation, rather than dread.
When you consider the health benefits provided by wearing masks, it seems like using a mask is a smart and sensible thing to adopt for yourself, your family, and your community. The history of mask usage to promote health benefits is not a new one. Masks have been used for thousands of years to help people adapt and function better within their environment. Wearing masks during periods of epidemics has a proven track record of increasing longevity and promoting overall better health. Mask usage may have had modest beginnings as a way to simply reduce dust particles from filling the lungs, but over time they have developed into powerful devices to help reduce the spread of contagions and promote overall improved health. As medical masks have become more refined they have evolved from a single layer of lace or gauze to multiple layers. They transformed from reusable masks that had to be cleaned and replaced often to disposable masks that are now more common and more effective today. Masks can be utilized as a way to communicate your thoughts and feelings about different subjects or causes in a very visible, yet non-verbal way. You can promote the health, safety and well being of your family while encouraging creativity by making or even just decorating your own masks at home. Show off your own personal style and personality through the masks that you choose to wear on a daily basis. Finally, help encourage yourself and others to make positive health choices by making it fun and competitive to keep yourself and those around you motivated to follow mask mandates by having creative competitions with one another. These can be done in person or even online. You can also make some additional income by creating and selling new mask designs, or by using the masks you select to help you promote and market your own business or services. Medical masks may be necessary in our modern society, but that does not mean they need to be boring.
Works Cited
Brown, Jeffrey, et al., creators. A Cultural Exploration of Face Masks During Disease Outbreaks. PBS New Hour, PBS, 2020, https://youtu.be/otusYMLF3zg. Accessed 28 December 2021.
History of Medical Mask-From Animal Skin to N95. Performance by Histeary, YoutTube, 2021. YouTube, youtube.com/watch?v=GWjaOSd0-zM. Accessed 27 December 2021.
Montorfano, Lisandro, and Mileydis Alonso. “Uncovering the History of Medical Face Masks in the Time of COVID-19.” ClinOnc News, Clinical Oncology, 31 March 2021, https://www.clinicaloncology.com/COVID-19/Article/03-21/Uncovering-the-History-of-Medical-Face-Masks-In-the-Time-of-COVID-19/62804#:~:text=of%20face%20masks.-,Dr.,hospitals%20and%20surgery%20(Figure). Accessed 28 December 2021.
Strasser, Bruno J., and Thomas Schlich. “A History of the Medical Mask and the Rise of Throwaway Culture.” Perspectives: The Art of Medicine, vol. 396, no. 10243, 2020, pp. 19-20. The Lancet, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31207-1. Accessed 28 December 2021.