Indian man wears gold face mask to ward off coronavirus

The mask weighs 60g and took craftsmen eight days to make. PHOTO: AFP

PUNE, INDIA (AFP) - An Indian man said he paid about US$4,000 (S$5,600) for a bespoke gold face mask to protect him from the coronavirus raging in the country.

The precious metal covering weighs 60g and took craftsmen eight days to make, said businessman Shankar Kurhade, from the western city of Pune.

"It is a thin mask and has tiny pores that is helping me to breathe," Shankar said.

"I am not sure if it will be effective to protect me from a coronavirus infection, but I am taking other precautions," he added.

When going out, the 49-year-old said he likes to adorn himself with gold jewellery weighing a kilogramme, including a bracelet, necklace and rings on each finger of his right hand.

Kurhade - whose company makes industrial sheds - said he got the idea for the gold face mask after seeing a media report about a man wearing one made from silver.

"People are asking me for selfies," he said.

"They are awestruck when they see me wearing the gold mask in markets."

Businessman Shankar Kurhade likes to adorn himself with gold jewellery weighing a kilogramme. PHOTO: REUTERS

India has made face masks mandatory in public places in a bid to control the spread of Covid-19 in the country, which has around 650,000 confirmed cases and more than 18,600 fatalities.

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