Face Masks Were Booming Until They Weren’t

Face Masks Were Booming Until They Weren’t

Face masks were the most ubiquitous visual symbol of the Covid-19 pandemic, but they're fading from sight as more and more people get vaccinated. Roughly 177 million Americans “” or 68.7% of the adult population “” have received at least one dose, according to Bloomberg's Vaccine Tracker. New York and California, two of the hardest hit states in the early days of the pandemic, lifted virtually all pandemic restrictions earlier this month after hitting key vaccination benchmarks.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends that unvaccinated individuals wear masks, and even those who are vaccinated have to cover up on planes, buses and trains and in public transit hubs. But across American offices, restaurants and stores, it's now more common to see actual faces than a sea of masks. And for those situations where masks are still required, most people already have a sufficient supply for their household (including the reusable variety) and aren't buying many new ones.

That's fundamentally good news and signals a return to a more normal economy. But Americans' broad abandonment of face masks has ramifications for the industrial companies that aggressively stockpiled inventory and ramped up production to meet the pandemic needs.

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