Face masks go upscale as pandemic drags on

Designers and inventors are getting creative with face masks as the vast majority of Americans and others are wearing the coverings on an ongoing basis in an attempt to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. “When there’s demand, the market reacts quickly,” said Yukiko Iida, a face mask expert at the Environmental Control Center, a consultancy based in Tokyo. “People are wearing them all day every day, so we’re seeing improvements in things like ease of wear and ease of communication,” she added in a reference to masks with a clear front that allow others to see the expressions of the wearer.