During the first COVID-19 peak, (textile) companies turned their production upside down to come to the aid of the shortage of masks for care and society. On the one hand, it became clear that the required machinery (for the production of nonwovens and the assembly of face masks) is not available in Flanders and that there is insufficient product knowledge.

Companies have used their production apparatus and available materials in order to be able to provide protective equipment. However, not all products met the safety and comfort requirements. 

Moreover, a large number of companies had to drastically reduce or even stop their activities, partly because of sick employees, partly because they could not work safely. Even if social-distancing precautions could be taken, employees were concerned about being infected by colleagues, customers, professional relations. The lack of protective equipment contributed to this. In view of the exit after the first wave, massive efforts were made by (textile) companies and private individuals to make community masks, which logically first focused on safety.

However, for the people in the field it turned out that wearing a face mask was not always comfortable due to insufficient breathability, insufficient heat and moisture dispersion (fogging glasses), a poor fit, because the mouth mask is too big or too small (adult vs. child as well as anthropometric differences of the face). Poor fit compromises safety because the wearer tends to frequently touch the mouth mask and face, creating a significant risk of contamination.