Stylish Scarf Disguises Germ-Filtering Mask So You Don't Look Like You're Carrying the Bubonic Plague

There's somthing unsettling about surgical masks outside of a medical setting, whether they're being worn to prevent a contagion from spreading or to protect a person with a weak immune system. A trendy looking scarf over the mouth and nose, especially in the winter months, though doesn't draw unnecessary attention.

Such was the inspiration for the Scough.

Image source: Scough

"You don’t want to wear a silly looking surgeon’s mask to keep healthy. So instead of looking like you’ve come down with the bubonic plague when you walk onto the subway, you'll just be that stylish looking guy or gal sporting a designer Scough with built in protection from the harsh germ and pollution-filled world," the Brooklyn-based company said on its website.

The Scough's embedded mask filters out potentially harmful particles or pollutants using activated carbon and a small micropore-size mesh. It also packs silver ions that kill bacteria by "causing their cells membranes to collapse."

Image source: Scough

The Scough, which is currently handmade, doesn't claim to guarantee it will keep people from getting sick or spreading illnesses, but "it will definitely increase your chances of staying healthy and warm."

Watch this report from News 12 Brooklyn about the Scough:

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(H/T: io9)