Masks: Spiderman, Jim Carrey, and the Phantom of the Opera all donned one. Our beloved face masks began as humble handkerchiefs as early as the 1600s. These evolved into surgical masks and -- eventually -- the heavily sought-after N-95 respirator!

Masks are not just for villains and superheroes. We have long depended on them for protection. How did improving technoloy create the masks we know today? How can they protect against disease?

Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.

References:

1. 
   
2. Kannadan, A. History of the Miasma Theory of Disease. ESSAI: Vol. 16 , Article 18 (2018).
   
3. Wilson, M. The untold origin story of the N95 mask. Fast Company (2020).
   
4. Gabrielle, V. What you need to know about surgical masks, N95 respirators and coronavirus. Knox News (2020).
   
5. Leung, N.; et al. Respiratory virus shedding in exhaled breath and efficacy of face masks. Nature Medicine (2020).