Panic surrounding the Coronavirus disease 2019 is at an all-time high, with reports of hand sanitizer and other commodities selling out at stores worldwide — but some people have found an odd way to combat the illness.
With news of COVID-19 still developing, more and more public gatherings and events are being canceled as infection rates continue to rise in multiple countries and regions across the globe.
Considering the severity of the virus, citizens are taking all manner of measures to prevent getting infected, resulting in a major shortage of cleaning products and even face masks.
However, one IRL streamer came upon two individuals who found a hilarious way to get around the face mask shortage during a live broadcast in Japan.
Osaka-based streamer “cjaysan” often shares his outings in the massive city, from morning walks to taking in the country’s bustling nightlife scene.
It was during one of his daytime excursions that he came across two men, who appeared to be wearing brightly-colored and oddly shaped face masks.
“What is that?” Cjaysan asked as the man approached his camera.
“Panties,” the stranger answered bluntly.
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Indeed, both he and a friend appeared to be wearing women’s underwear on their faces, which they claimed was an attempt at warding off infection from the Coronavirus.
In an even more hilarious turn of events, the stranger pulled the undergarments aside to take a drag from his cigarette, further suggesting that his makeshift panty-mask was likely just a gaff in response to panic surrounding the virus.
“I should get one, too,” the streamer laughed, after the duo confirmed that they hadn’t, in fact, borrowed the garments from their girlfriends, as was originally suspected.
While this surprise encounter marked a humorous take on the current situation, the Coronavirus is taking a serious toll on countries worldwide, with a slew of public events like SXSW, TwitchCon Amsterdam, and multiple competitive gaming events being canceled due to the outbreak.
For now, all people can do is take preventative measures to avoid potential infection — but it looks like our panty-wearing strangers have the situation “under control.”