South Korea’s nose-only ‘kosk’ mask for Covid-safe eating raises eyebrows

SEOUL: FEB. 5 – An anti-virus mask that only covers the nose and can continue to be worn while eating and drinking is on sale in South Korea.

The “kosk”, a combination of ko, the Korean word for nose, and mask, has been released by a company called Atman and sells for 9,800 won ($8.13; £5.99) for a box of 10 on online retailer Coupang. It consists of two pieces, one of which can be removed to leave the mouth uncovered.

Meanwhile, three reusable “Copper Antivirus Nose Masks” which only cover the nose at all times are available in different colours for 2,000 won ($1.65; £1.22) from Spar Clone Fabric, also on Coupang. The masks are designed to be worn under a regular mask that covers the mouth, which can be removed when dining out or drinking with other people.

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The unusual masks have attracted a lot of attention online. “Are they also selling teapots made from chocolate?” asked one tweeter, while another commented, “Next level stupidity!”.

Another Twitter user suggested: “No different to the people who wear their masks below their nose.”

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

Professor Catherine Bennett, chair in epidemiology within Deakin University’s Institute for Health Transformation in Australia, told Nine News that masks that only cover the nose were a “strange idea’” but would be “better than nothing”.

“It probably makes a marginal difference,” she said.

Coronavirus cases in South Korea hit a record 22,907 on Thursday after topping 20,000 for the first time on Wednesday, driven by the spread of the Omicron variant.

However, the east Asian nation has registered a relatively low 6,812 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. That represents a death rate per million of 133, compared to 2,300 per million in the UK and 2,747 in the US.

-The Guardian