В период эпидемий или в обычное время в лечебных учреждениях рекомендуется носить медицинский респиратор или маску, как одно из средств защиты от вирусов. В некоторых странах в связи с пандемией коронавируса ношение маски при выходе на улицу и в общественных местах сделали обязательным. Делается это не столько для того, чтобы защитить от заражения людей, которые носят маски, а больше для того, чтобы не заразить тех, у кого масок нет. У вируса достаточно долгий инкубационный период, и человек просто может не знать, что является его носителем.
Огромный спрос на медицинские респираторы и маски привел к дефициту этих средств защиты в некоторых странах. Медицинские торговые сети просто оказались не готовы к такому спросу. Что же, в таком случае, людям на помощь пришла смекалка. Некоторые маски ручного изготовления просто поражают воображение. И хотя медики считают, что такие маски малоэффективны, но что поделаешь, когда другого выбора нет.
![A Colombian student poses for a picture wearing a face mask made with recyclable and biodegradable materials, as a form of protest against the shortage of face masks in pharmacies, in order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, at Julio Cesar Turbay A Colombian student poses for a picture wearing a face mask made with recyclable and biodegradable materials, as a form of protest against the shortage of face masks in pharmacies, in order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, at Julio Cesar Turbay - Sputnik Азербайджан](https://cdnn1.img.sputnik.az/img/42366/11/423661121_0:0:3076:2047_600x0_80_0_1_d31d3668a26d50cff70a8473a4e6789a.jpg)
![A passenger wears a face mask and plastic food bags on her face as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus after landing at Hong Kong’s international airport A passenger wears a face mask and plastic food bags on her face as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus after landing at Hong Kong’s international airport - Sputnik Азербайджан](https://cdnn1.img.sputnik.az/img/42366/11/423661176_0:0:3072:2048_600x0_80_0_1_48453e66ab8383a259bfd6347b6ad361.jpg)
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![A man wearing heart-shaped glasses with his face covered amid fears of the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, stands at market during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus A man wearing heart-shaped glasses with his face covered amid fears of the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, stands at market during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus - Sputnik Азербайджан](https://cdnn1.img.sputnik.az/img/42366/12/423661284_0:0:3071:2048_600x0_80_0_1_ed24c84a20279385b3a9a4fbf2a76e0f.jpg)
![A man wears a face mask while he carries his dog with a protective suit as a preventive measure against the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, in Caracas A man wears a face mask while he carries his dog with a protective suit as a preventive measure against the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, in Caracas - Sputnik Азербайджан](https://cdnn1.img.sputnik.az/img/42366/13/423661338_0:0:2943:2048_600x0_80_0_1_6cf515715e26d225703895c78be6668d.jpg)
![A woman wears a plastic water bottle to cover her face amid the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19 disease, in Montevideo A woman wears a plastic water bottle to cover her face amid the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19 disease, in Montevideo - Sputnik Азербайджан](https://cdnn1.img.sputnik.az/img/42366/13/423661394_0:0:3072:2048_600x0_80_0_1_76b9db41651e18ee9f3c0b191ffe9c12.jpg)
![A woman is seen wearing a mask embellished with petals in the central Iraqi holy city of Najaf on March 21, 2020 amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. A woman is seen wearing a mask embellished with petals in the central Iraqi holy city of Najaf on March 21, 2020 amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. - Sputnik Азербайджан](https://cdnn1.img.sputnik.az/img/42366/14/423661446_0:0:3067:2047_600x0_80_0_1_549f59a0c8bf042fd9c027f08ce3f6fb.jpg)
![Brazilian fashion photographer Marcio Rodrigues wears a mask made with recyclable bottles, cans and boxes after over 20 days in which these garbage items were not collected because of the quarantine imposed to control the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), in Belo Horizonte, Brazi Brazilian fashion photographer Marcio Rodrigues wears a mask made with recyclable bottles, cans and boxes after over 20 days in which these garbage items were not collected because of the quarantine imposed to control the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), in Belo Horizonte, Brazi - Sputnik Азербайджан](https://cdnn1.img.sputnik.az/img/42366/15/423661502_0:0:2835:1892_600x0_80_0_1_a458a132b598d3451a72f8fc145aa215.jpg)
![A cleaning staff waers protective gear to disinfect a metro carriage as a prevemtive measure against the spreading of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia A cleaning staff waers protective gear to disinfect a metro carriage as a prevemtive measure against the spreading of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Sputnik Азербайджан](https://cdnn1.img.sputnik.az/img/42366/15/423661554_0:0:3067:2048_600x0_80_0_1_e873aa5487e82ccc42493987c0ee9631.jpg)
![A woman wearing a face mask stands on the Charles Bridge A woman wearing a face mask stands on the Charles Bridge - Sputnik Азербайджан](https://cdnn1.img.sputnik.az/img/42366/16/423661609_0:0:3072:2048_600x0_80_0_1_bfc8dfae6385295899b498c23d855ebf.jpg)
![A street vendor wears a plastic bag as a preventive measure against the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil A street vendor wears a plastic bag as a preventive measure against the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil - Sputnik Азербайджан](https://cdnn1.img.sputnik.az/img/42366/16/423661664_0:0:3072:2048_600x0_80_0_1_1039a9b73f11f6bdf1484bcc7752c2cb.jpg)
![A man wearing a face mask poses for a picture in Mexico City A man wearing a face mask poses for a picture in Mexico City - Sputnik Азербайджан](https://cdnn1.img.sputnik.az/img/42366/17/423661718_0:0:3076:2047_600x0_80_0_1_17989c137a0f071b44d614d0b59c849e.jpg)
![A woman wearing a face mask gestures on a street in Wuhan, China's central Hubei province A woman wearing a face mask gestures on a street in Wuhan, China's central Hubei province - Sputnik Азербайджан](https://cdnn1.img.sputnik.az/img/42366/17/423661772_0:0:3078:2048_600x0_80_0_1_41296022f8d85e61ed57b5ed08e01b5d.jpg)
![A man wears a face mask as a preventive measure against the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19 as he gets ready to play Jews of Masatepe A man wears a face mask as a preventive measure against the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19 as he gets ready to play Jews of Masatepe - Sputnik Азербайджан](https://cdnn1.img.sputnik.az/img/42366/18/423661826_0:0:3121:2048_600x0_80_0_1_c090f02d592aecc454eb3e4e0166dee7.jpg)
![A police personnel wears a facemask as he stands on a street during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Siliguri A police personnel wears a facemask as he stands on a street during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Siliguri - Sputnik Азербайджан](https://cdnn1.img.sputnik.az/img/42366/18/423661881_0:0:3072:2048_600x0_80_0_1_83869cef10d51580b48b29d7515ee4d6.jpg)
![A woman uses a face masks as a preventive measure against the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, in Bogota, on March 19, 2020. - Colombia A woman uses a face masks as a preventive measure against the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, in Bogota, on March 19, 2020. - Colombia - Sputnik Азербайджан](https://cdnn1.img.sputnik.az/img/42366/19/423661936_0:0:3102:2047_600x0_80_0_1_2a7dcac3ef84817aaad90a05f863ecf5.jpg)
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![A man wearing an alternative mask poses for a photograph in Kampala A man wearing an alternative mask poses for a photograph in Kampala - Sputnik Азербайджан](https://cdnn1.img.sputnik.az/img/42366/20/423662044_0:0:3071:2048_600x0_80_0_1_9bd8a959d366593594b3f4154c71872d.jpg)