GUWAHATI: At the time when the entire world is fighting against the deadly Coronavirus, or COVID-19, wearing a face mask is certainly effective and can restrict the spread of the disease.
Taking a cue from this, an artisan from Gohpur, Assam has made masks out of Gamosa.
Although the 'Gamosa' is a strong symbol in Assam and carries it's own sentiment; the question that arises is if a mask made out of Gamosa safe for use.
To clarify, if a mask needs to be "safe", it has to meet certain safety levels.
According to Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, a piece of cloth would not help prevent the spread of disease.
A more specialized mask, known as an N95 respirator, can protect against the new coronavirus. The respirator is thicker than a surgical mask, but neither Schaffner nor the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) recommends it for public use, at least not at this point.
A. Hazarika, a resident of Six Mile, Guwahati said, "I think it is pretty illogical and frankly opportunistic to be doing something like this. This mask is not going to protect any one and is only going to raise further alarm among people. This is also going to toy with people's sentiments since the Gamosa represents a lot of our emotions."
Meanwhile the confirmed cases in India has gone up to 110.