Two Mozambican women said to be employed by a Chinese national, were recently caught washing used facemasks which they intended to resell to residents of Sofala province in the country.
This is as the world battles the Coronavirus pandemic which has killed thousands globally.
These days everyone tend to wear mask to prevent coronavirus. But how are these mask disposed of after use? As its been advised to burn them, to avoid recycling, as a picture trending indicates it could be washed for a re use.
But really, do masks protect the people from coronavirus?
Dr Sara Kayat explains why there are conflicting opinions about the use of face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
As we have reached a strange point in time when it is rare to go on a trip to the supermarket or walk through the park without seeing people wearing surgical-style face masks.
The official advice about whether you should wear these mask varies from country to country, with the British government, for example, not advising the use of face masks for the general public, but the authorities in certain provinces of China making it compulsory.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that, provided you are healthy, you do not need to wear a mask. People should, however, wear masks if they are caring for someone infected with the new coronavirus, or if they are unwell and coughing or sneezing.
There are a number of different masks available, ranging from basic cloth masks and surgical masks to higher-grade respirator masks.
Different masks are recommended for different risk levels. For instance, doctors seeing patients will only need to wear a surgical face mask for general consultations.
If they are carrying out aerosol-generating procedures, such as intubating (putting in a breathing tube), extubating (taking out a breathing tube), endoscopy (inserting a flexible tube with a light and camera) or bronchoscopy (a tube passed down the throat to view the lungs), then respirator masks are required.
