The shortage of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic has become a symbol of the
fragility of modern medicine and public health. Several explanations have been advanced
for this situation, from a panicking public hoarding masks to the offshoring of manufacturing
and the disruption of global trade. The history of medicine suggests another factor
could be considered: the progressive replacement of reusable face masks by disposable
ones since the 1960s. Medicine has been transformed by consumer culture—what Life
Magazine enthusiastically named “Throwaway Living” in 1955.

Source: www.thelancet.com