People in North Korea have taken to wearing face masks with mysterious accessories on them in recent weeks.
More and more citizens of the isolated East Asian country have been seen with large colourful stickers or clips on their masks, but the purpose or function of the accessories remains unexplained.
It is a trend that has been spotted by American website NK News, who analyse state media coverage in North Korea.
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Despite Covid restrictions having been eased in most nations across the world, supreme leader Kim Jong-un is now imposing strict masking and social distancing restrictions.
The mass wearing of masks has been witnessed since mid-January in Pyongyang when the capital city was making preparations for a large-scale military parade involving tens of thousands of people.
A five-day lockdown in Pyongyang followed shortly afterwards due to what was reported as a "rising" illness.
The mask accessories, meanwhile, are not just confined to Pyongyang and are also prevalent in Phyongsong, Sinuiju, Chongjin, Kanggye, Kaesong, Wonsan and Samjiyon.
They are all approximately an inch long, oval-shaped and either attached to the front of the mask or clipped onto the ear strings.
The majority of the accessories are light blue, but other versions have been seen in black, white, yellow, green and pink.
North Korea expert Martin Weiser has speculated that the accessories could house small chips that store readable health or screening status.
Alternative theories have expressed the view that they could be air fresheners or purifiers.
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It is also thought that their emergence might suggest North Koreans are being vaccinated, as Kim Jong-un hinted would be the case in autumn.
NK News has reported, too, that more North Koreans have started to double mask, with a regular public service announcement recommending the practice.
It claims that donning two masks provides 90% protection from Covid infection compared to a 40% success rate for one mask.
North Korea is now one of the only places in the world where outdoor mask wearing is required, although Kim Jong-un has reportedly claimed that the virus does not pose a threat at events where he is present and has, sometimes, instructed people to take off their masks at such occasions.
Authorities in North Korea reintroduced mask restrictions in September just a month after declaring victory over a nationwide Covid wave over the summer.
The country still prohibits all travel into the country from other nations – a law that applies to tourists, government officials and aid delegations.
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