Why Gauze Masks ‘Failed’ in 1918 — And What We Can Do BetterA look at the mistakes Americans made while wearing homemade cloth masks to protect against the Spanish flu, according to the secretary of the California State Board of Health in 1918Adrien Burch, PhDApr 7, 2020·5 min readAn American Red Cross worker wears a gauze mask during the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918. Photo: Paul Thompson/FPG/Stringer/Getty Images
