Legacy and language around masks will be debated long after pandemic recedes: experts

First, we didn't have enough masks to protect us against COVID-19, then we all needed to wear them. Then we didn't, then we did again. There were fights, criminal charges and protests over them. And now most mandates are lifting.

Evolutionary biologist Prof. Sarah Otto said not since the two-piece swimsuit was introduced over 75 years ago has such a polarized debate raged.  

“The last time wearing a tiny piece of cloth caused so much controversy was when bikinis were introduced,” said Otto, an expert in mathematical models of pandemic growth and evolution in the zoology department at the University of British Columbia. 

The divisiveness of the mask is a legacy that will long be debated after the pandemic is over, she said. 

Along with vaccines and social distancing, she said masks still remain one of the most important layers of protection that help slow down the spread of the virus. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collated data that was released last December, which said if the number of people wearing masks increased by 15 per cent, it could prevent the need for lockdowns and reduce financial losses.

Prof. Steven Taylor of the University of British Columbia's department of psychiatry said it is important to understand that masks are a key tool in the fight against the virus.