Sharp converts factory to make 150,000 face masks a day amid coronavirus outbreak

As the coronavirus outbreak continues to dominate headlines, Japanese electronics company Sharp has announced it will use its Mie Prefecture plant to produce surgical masks.

The masks have become a common site not just in Japan but across the globe as the coronavirus, named COVID-19, has continued to spread. But with their popularity come shortages, so Sharp is stepping up its production.

Sharp, which is owned by Foxconn, typically produces displays at the factory. But the company now plans to start producing the masks by the end of March at a rate of 150,000 a day and eventually climbing to over 500,000 a day.

As the Associated Press astutely notes, these display factories are often "germ-free... for the sake of high quality." This makes it a perfect factory for producing masks intended to prevent the spread of germs.

As for whether or not the masks actually do much, the answer seems to be that if you're healthy, no.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that if you're healthy, you only need to wear one if "you are taking care of a person with suspected 2019-nCoV infection."

Additionally, they're only really effective if you're taking other steps like constantly washing your hands.

The WHO also recommends wearing a mask if you are showing any symptoms of the disease.

Additionally, the Center for Disease Control says in its coronavirus FAQ that it doesn't recommend "people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. You should only wear a mask if a healthcare professional recommends it. A facemask should be used by people who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms."

Meanwhile, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams took to Twitter to call on people to stop panic-buying masks.

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Basically, if you don't need to wear a mask, don't hoard them, because that leaves fewer masks for the health care workers who need them.

“There are severe strains on protective equipment around the world," the WHO's Dr. Michael Ryan said last week. "Our primary concern is to ensure that our front line health workers are protected and that they have the equipment they need to do their jobs.”

But if you're insistent on using a mask, at least make sure your beard is properly trimmed.

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We've reached out to Sharp for additional comment on the factory plans.