Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 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
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
×