Next-level Covid-19 protection: Man spotted wearing respirator at Serangoon MRT station

Next-level Covid-19 protection: Man spotted wearing respirator at Serangoon MRT station
PHOTO: Facebook/Complaint Singapore

As the number of Covid-19 cases surges in recent weeks, some Singaporeans are taking safety precautions to the next level. 

On Wednesday (Sept 15), photos of a man wearing a powered air-purifying respirator surfaced on social media.

He was spotted waiting for the train at Serangoon MRT station, appearing to be heading to work.

@jamest000 #covid19 ♬ original sound - World Health Organization (WHO)

Tickled by his choice of protective gear, some netizens said the respirator reminded them of things such as the characters in Among Us. 

Jokes aside, other netizens approved of the commuter's get-up and commended him for taking initiative in protecting himself from the coronavirus. 

Odd as it may seem, this isn't the first time such respirators have made their appearance in public. 

Back in May, when Singapore was in Phase 2 Heightened Alert, Facebook user MD Shariff Abdullah shared a photo of a woman wearing a similar apparatus while she was ordering food at Tekka Food Centre. 

In the caption, he expressed curiosity about where she obtained the unusual device, as it was the first time that he saw something like it. 

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/shariff.sbr/posts/4720856674607922[/embed]

According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, a powered air-purifying respirator protects the wearer from gases, vapour or particles by using a blower to force air through filter cartridges or canisters and into the breathing zone.

They are more commonly used by healthcare professionals in procedures where they are "exposed to greater risks of aerosolized pathogens causing acute respiratory infections".

The prevailing recommendation by Singapore's health ministry is for the public to wear masks with better filtration capability such as surgical masks or masks with filtration inserts.

claudiatan@asiaone.com 

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