Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Oct 17, 2025

2021: The year of the mask

2021: The year of the mask

As the world entered its second full year of the coronavirus pandemic, masks became a ubiquitous sight, from sports stadiums to the highest political offices.

Crowd of Tokyo train commuters in masks

A world concealed


December 2021 marks two years since the first concerning cases of a new respiratory disease began to emerge in Wuhan, China. Within weeks, the virus – Sars-CoV-2 – had spread across the world and ushered in a frightening new disease for the 21st Century: Covid-19.

Health agencies across the world realised quickly that even relatively humble disposable masks, if worn correctly over the mouth and nose, went a long way to preventing the spread of the virus. In 2021, as the world entered its second full year of the Covid-19 pandemic, masks were a ubiquitous reminder of the health emergency the world was grappling with.

Masked worker in deserted beach resort


Vacated


The world's tourism hotspots were largely deserted as the world welcomed 2021, partly due to the rise in the Delta variant, a highly transmissible mutation of the virus which was first observed in October 2020.

All-inclusive resorts like this one in the Dominican Republic reopened after many months, but tourists were in many cases wary of holidaying in the midst of the pandemic.

Marjorie Taylor Greene with pro-Trump mask


Political cover


Masks became a new form of advertising and a vehicle for viral messaging, especially for those in the political realm. Here, Republican representative Marjorie Taylor Greene sports a facemask emblazoned with the slogan "Trump won", referencing the unfounded belief that the Democratic Party's victory in the 2020 presidential election was unlawful.

Female steward raising mask sign


Defensive measures


Two major sporting events due to take place in the summer of 2020 finally took place in 2021 instead. One of them was the pan-European Euro 2020 football championships, which took place in cities ranging from the Seville in Spain to Baku in Azerbaijan.

Despite being held in open-air stadiums, the championships brought serious infection implications due to the massive movement of fans from airports to hotels and transport hubs to stadiums. Even players had to adhere to rules, wearing masks when not on the playing field.

Fan wearing mask with Olympic logo


Golden rule


An even bigger spectacle took place later that summer, with the Tokyo Summer Olympics taking place in late July and early August. The games had also been postponed from the summer of 2020 – with a vaccination campaign in full swing, it was hoped that the event would be much safer with a year's delay. Athletes were required to wear their masks at all Olympics venues – even on the medal podium.

There were fears that the games might have to be played to empty venues – that is in fact what Japan's chief scientist recommended. In the end, however, fans were allowed, though capacity at venues was reduced to help social distancing. And there was one other rule that was rather more difficult to adhere to: no cheering.

Skiier with mask on French slope


Cold comfort


Away from the glitz and spectacle of international sport, Covid-19 also made itself felt in everyday physical activity. This skier near a lift at the Alpe d'Huez ski resort was obliged to wear a mask. In the UK, the chief medical officer Chris Whitty said there was no need for joggers to wear masks in the open air, though other medical experts weren't quite so sure.

In March, scientists in Italy found that masks were safe to wear even when carrying out high-intensity exercise, offering only a 10% reduction in oxygen intake but making the spread of the virus in gyms much less likely.

Man wearing mask entering Ganges River


Constant companion


Masks soon became as vital a part of everyday journeys as wallets and mobile phones for many – the ritual of a doorway search for a mask as common as that for house keys. The need for masks was even more urgent in crowded cities and communities, such as parts of India, which in the spring and summer suffered terrible loss as the Delta variant swept across the country.

Here, an Indian sadhu, or holy man, wears a mask as he bathes in the Ganges River during the Kumbh Mela festival in April in the city of Haridwar.

Female guest in cowboy hat and mask


Cultural shift


Masks were even seen on the most exclusive of red carpets, such as the Cannes Film Festival in France in May.

Many of these events had been postponed or moved online in 2020 due to the pandemic, and the masks were a visible sign the world was still far from back to normal. The movie industry spent much of the year in relative lockdown, with some of the biggest releases – such as the James Bond film No Time to Die – delayed again and again as lockdown restrictions continued.

Joe and Jill Biden kiss outside White House


A moment unmasked


For many political leaders, masks had to be worn at every public event, reinforcing their effectiveness to those watching. In stark contrast to his predecessor Donald Trump, who went without a mask even while holding political rallies in the run-up to the 2020 election, President Joe Biden consistently donned a mask. In the summer, he urged Americans to wear masks indoors as the death toll of the disease climbed.

Here, he is seen kissing his wife Jill Biden on the lawn of the White House in January ahead of a trip to a military hospital.

Pope Francis putting on mask


An ecumenical question?


In November 2020 Pope Francis, the leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics, called those who refused to wear masks "selfish". The pontiff was criticised by some last year for not wearing masks enough in public settings, and appeared to have taken that criticism to heart. During 2021, he regularly appeared in a mask at the weekly general audiences held at The Vatican.

In the US, some churches urged their congregation to wear masks to help curb the spread of the disease, while others resisted it – some even offering "religious exemptions" to get around mask and vaccine mandates in the workplace.

Chinese workers making masks


Behind the masks


A world in pandemic mode needs a mountain of masks. Just one company – the giant US conglomerate 3M – alone produced some 2.5 billion in 2021. This was four times the number produced in pre-pandemic 2019, and a sign of the immense effort going into mask production across the world.

It was reported that many smaller US companies that had pivoted to make masks in 2020 as the pandemic took hold were left with massive stocks of unsold masks as Chinese companies mobilised and produced numbers at cheap prices.

Man with mask on elbow


About face


Public health agencies had urged people to wear masks and wear them correctly – covering both mouth and nose when they were being worn. But what about when they weren't being worn? Was it safer to hang an unused mask off your arm or stuff it in your pocket or bag?

Well, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention is clear on this: don't dangle an unused mask off your arm or around your neck, lest it get further contaminated. Though according to 3M's own guidance on mask wearing, neither should you keep one in a bag or pocket between uses. For those of us relying on washable masks, are we cleaning them as regularly as we should?

The pandemic shows no sign of abating, at least for the near future – and it looks like masks will continue to be one of our most visible weapons in the battle to defeat it.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
US Prosecutors Gained Legal Approval to Hack Telegram Servers
Macron Faces Intensifying Pressure to Resign or Trigger New Elections Amid France’s Political Turmoil
Standard Chartered Names Roberto Hoornweg as Sole Head of Corporate & Investment Banking
UK Asylum Housing Firm Faces Backlash Over £187 Million Profits and Poor Living Conditions
UK Police Crack Major Gang in Smuggling of up to 40,000 Stolen Phones to China
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Trump Proposes Farm Bailout from Tariff Revenues Amid Backlash from Other Industries
FIFA Accuses Malaysia of Forging Citizenship Documents, Suspends Seven Footballers
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
×