Warding off coronavirus with a gold mask

An Indian businessman Shankar Kurhade was spotted wearing a facemask made of gold to ward off in Pune on July 4.

According to the news agency, Indian man paid about $4,000 for a bespoke gold face mask to protect him from the raging COVID-19 pandemic.

The precious metal covering weighs 60 grams (two ounces) and took craftsmen eight days to make, said businessman Shankar Kurhade.

“It is a thin mask and has tiny pores that is helping me to breathe,” Shankar told AFP.

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