Face masks have become an essential everyday item for residents across the UAE, who are required to cover their nose and mouth whenever they leave the house.
And with the rules looking set to stay in place for the immediate future, many people are looking at sustainable and creative ways to make face masks at home.
Luckily, like most things you need in quarantine, there’s a TikTok video for that.
A face mask tutorial video by dance and Zumba instructor Safia Aggoune has gone viral: it shows her transforming a humble sock into a pretty effective face mask.
Thousands of users have reposted the video, which has been viewed more than 2.5 million times.
The beauty of the technique is that most people will have everything they need to make the mask at home. It doesn’t require an elastic or a sewing machine, just an old ankle sock and some scissors.
Aggoune starts by cutting off the toe section of the sock.
She then cuts along the fold to cut the tube of the sock into a flat piece of material that can be spread across the face.
Finally, she folds material in half once more and cuts two small slits at either end of the material, which when unfolded, work as perfectly-sized ear holes – no elastic required.
Watch the video below to see exactly how she does it:
While this mask isn't medical grade, it is a face covering, which is what is required in many situations.
Masks are mandatory for anyone going outside to walk or run, to the mall, or to the supermarket in the UAE. Authorities are carrying out regular checks, and anyone found not wearing a mask or not having it fastened correctly over their nose and mouth are at risk of being fined Dh1,000.
On Wednesday, health officials in Dubai warned residents wearing masks around their necks that they were "putting lives at risk".
