Man with a golden mask

AN INDIAN man said he paid about $4,000 for a bespoke gold face mask to protect himself from the coronavirus raging in the country.

The precious metal covering weighs 60 grams and took craftsmen eight days to make, said businessman Shankar Kurhade, from Pune.

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

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

When going out, the 49-year-old said he likes to adorn himself with gold jewellery weighing a kilogramme, including a bracelet, necklace and rings on each finger of his right hand.

Kurhade – whose company makes industrial sheds – said he got the idea for the gold face mask after seeing a media report about a man wearing one made from silver.

“People are asking me for selfies,” he said. “They are awestruck when they see me wearing the gold mask in markets.”