One man recently went viral on Chinese social media for trying to get round this hurdle, wearing a funny-looking platypus-shaped mask with a wide gap in it that allowed him to eat an apple while on a train. Photo: Screenshot of video posted by CCTV News on Sina Weibo.

Wearing masks in public has become a common sight during the COVID-19 pandemic, even though it may sometimes bring inconvenience, particularly when people are trying to eat in public.

One man recently went viral on Chinese social media for trying to get round this hurdle, wearing a funny-looking platypus-shaped mask with a wide gap in it that allowed him to eat an apple while on a train. 

By Tuesday, the video had gained more than 700,000 views on China's twitter-like Sina Weibo. Despite finding the man's mask amusing, many criticized his behavior, saying that while it was convenient, it doesn't protect him or other passengers from possible virus transmissions.

"Wearing this mask is the same as wearing nothing," one netizen commented, saying the sinister-looking mask could also scare others on the train, especially children.

The railway authority in Northwest China's Gansu Province, which is in charge of the train the man was on, did not seem amused. 

It responded to media by saying that his mask didn't comply with railway epidemic prevention regulations, and must be replaced with a proper, normal mask if found next time.

Global Times