Coronavirus: Print your smile on to a facemask

Wearing a mask, no one can see you smile. So two Belgian entrepreneurs have come up with a solution.

Charles de Bellefroid and Amaury de Broux are working with hospitals, businesses and individuals to supply personalised masks, printed with a photo of your smile.

"We wanted to give people a smile again and let people express their identity," de Bellefroid said.

"In many professions, it is important to serve customers and interact with people while conveying a positive emotion."

The pair came up with the idea for Smiling Mask after their pre-corona business, hiring out photo machines for events such as weddings, came to a sudden halt.

"We did it because we found it fun," de Bellefroid added. "Before 2021 there won't be much going on in events, so the idea is to hold out until then."

Individuals can order their personalised mask virtually, just by supplying a photo of themselves smiling. For big firms, a photo machine can be installed on-site to take everyone's pics.

Brugmann university hospital in Brussels is one of the firm's clients. A hospital spokesperson said: "This is a period when our staff need to be reassuring, welcoming and even warmer than usual.

"This mask will not replace a real smile, but it shows our good will."