If the pandemic had a mascot, it might be a simple face mask. Nothing better encapsulates the COVID-19 era than the pleas and protests that surround mask usage—and the mass confusion that has accompanied 2020’s must-have accessory.

At first, officials told the public to skip these face coverings, amid worries that mask mandates would cause a shortage of medical-grade masks suitable for hospitals. After a couple months, both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization (WHO) changed their tune, calling for mask use when social distancing is not possible. The CDC now recommends that members of the general public wear cloth face coverings whenever possible. As of July 7, mask wearing is the law