Covid Masks: The new model is (not so) weird

An antivirus mask that only covers the nose and can be used while eating and drinking is on sale in South Korea and has surprised quite a few people.

"Kosk", a combination of ko, the Korean word for nose and mask, was marketed by a company called Atman and sold for 9,800 won (about 800 lek) in a box of 10 pieces. The masks are designed to be worn under a regular mouth mask, which can be removed when having dinner outside or drinking with other people.

Unusual masks have attracted a lot of attention on the internet. "Will the teapots also sell cake?" someone asked ironically, while another commented, "Stupidity of the next level!".

Another Twitter user suggested, "It's no different than people wearing masks under their noses."

However, some studies have suggested that the nose is the easiest way for the coronavirus to enter the body, so wearing a nose mask may not be as ridiculous as it seems.

Prof. Catherine Bennett, chair of epidemiology at Deakin University's Institute for Health Transformation in Australia, told Nine News that masks that only cover the nose are a "strange idea" but are "better than nothing". According to her, they can make a difference, albeit small and not very significant.