SINGAPORE/KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - "Do not wear a mask if you are well" read a warning plastered across the front of Singapore's main newspaper on Friday, as authorities around the world sought to calm panic buying of masks seen as a guard against the fast-spreading coronavirus.
In neighboring
Malaysia, the government urged people to always have masks and hand sanitizers ready, similar to advice by authorities in
Thailand and Vietnam.
Conflicting messages have sowed confusion over how to protect against an epidemic that has claimed over 200 lives in
China and spread to over 20 countries, with some experts saying wrong handling of masks could even increase infection risk.