[rani]

Fashionable ... but do these masks even work?

Residents of Hong Kong, always quick to spot a fashion trend, are turning to colorful surgical masks to beat the blues as a deadly virus stalks the territory.
Facewear in psychedelic colors, bold prints and even polka dots are increasingly seen on the streets, in the subway and in offices as residents try to ease the daily strain of living behind a mask.

Some shrewd retailers are printing masks with cartoon characters ranging from Hello Kitty to Ultraman, while others are opting for the more classic urban look -- basic black.

Where fashion-savvy Hong Kongers once debated the merits of Gucci and Prada, the hype now centers on the hottest numbers like "8210" or "N95," not price tags but the types of mask believed to offer the best protection from the disease.

"I like wearing masks because they can hide my pimples and make me look mysterious," said Jane Chan, a marketing executive, wearing a plain, off-the-shelf mask over her nose and mouth.

"I think people in Hong Kong are looking better now that they're wearing masks."

Most people in the territory of nearly seven million people now wear masks every day as scientists hunt for clues to the pneumonia-like disease which has killed nearly 80 people and infected over 2,000 others worldwide.

A few anxious parents are putting them on their babies and some pet owners have even put them on their dogs.

The more fashion-conscious now try to buy masks that match the color of their pendants, though they are not always successful.

"It's inconvenient, it doesn't go with my outfit," said one masked woman on a bus. "But I don't want to be sorry."

[vivek]

.. col1, row2 looks like an undie that was stolen from my clothes line last week ..

[shri]

Vivek, way too much information for us to process.