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| 20th century (second half) || Adoption by the general population || In the late 1950s there is a renewed interest in surgical masks.<ref name="Spooner"/> Asians, especially in Japan, China and Taiwan, start wearing masks for a host of cultural and environmental reasons, including non-medical ones.<ref name="voanews.comrr">{{cite web |title=Not Just Coronavirus: Asians Have Worn Face Masks for Decades |url=https://www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/not-just-coronavirus-asians-have-worn-face-masks-decades |website=voanews.com |accessdate=17 September 2020}}</ref> In the 1960s, modern disposable masks grow in popularity.<ref name="gizmodo.coms"/> In the mid-1960s, the use of disposable items made of paper and fleece is introduced all over the world after having started in the United States.<ref name="Fangerau"/> In the 1980s, flu masks gradually reappear when the hay fever mask becomes common in Japan.<ref name="Mitsutoshi"/> In the 1990s, after being used in industrial applications for decades, the {{w|N95 mask}} is adopted in clinical settings with the rise of drug-resistant tuberculosis.<ref name="fastcompany.comsssa"/>
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| 21st century (pre-COVID-19) || Dramatic increase Increase in face mask use throughout the world || Mask-wearing skyrockets increases in the early years of the current century with the {{w|SARS outbreak}} and {{w|avian influenza}}<ref name="theconversation.comv">{{cite web |title=A brief history of masks from the 17th-century plague to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic |url=https://theconversation.com/a-brief-history-of-masks-from-the-17th-century-plague-to-the-ongoing-coronavirus-pandemic-142959 |website=theconversation.com |accessdate=4 October 2020}}</ref>, |-| 21st century (post-COVID-19) || Massive adoption and further deepens worldwide compulsory use throughout the world || Mask-wearing use throughout the world suddenly explodes with the advent of the {{w|COVID-19 pandemic}}, with many countries mandating its use in public places. As of 2020, face mask use is part of the everyday landscape all troughout the world, especially in urban areas. However, as of 2020, experts continue to debate the effectiveness of face masks in preventing the spread of diseases. Policies, laws, and practical considerations vary from region to region, as well as people’s attitudes toward face masks, reflecting their cultural values and history.<ref>{{cite web |title=Faced With Face Masks: A Brief Discussion of Current Challenges |url=https://www.naspa.org/blog/faced-with-face-masks-a-brief-discussion-of-current-challenges |website=naspa.org |accessdate=13 September 2020}}</ref>
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