Kourtney Kardashian wears face mask amid coronavirus outbreak

Celebrities are on high alert as the coronavirus continues to spread and claim lives

With Kourtney Kardashian spotted in Paris wearing a black face mask, it's safe to say that even celebrities are concerned with the spread of the coronavirus.

The 40-year-old reality TV star was seen arriving at the City of Love alongside her sister Kim and Kanye West on Saturday for Paris Fashion Week, according to a report from the Daily Mail. However, unlike standard medical mask that some are wearing in public, Kourtney has opted for extra protection with her anti-pollution and anti-bacteria respirator, which has visible vents.

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In France, there have been 100 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with two cases resulting in death related to the illness thus far, according to a live tracker kept up-to-date by private researchers from Johns Hopkins University.

Throughout the rest of the world, nearly 87,000 have been infected with the coronavirus. China has taken the brunt of the disease with 79,800-plus confirmed cases and 2,870 deaths. The U.S. has 71 confirmed cases and the death of a Seattle resident in his 50s on Saturday.

Dr. Jeffrey Duchin, a health officer for Washington’s Seattle and King County, noted that the patient had underlying health conditions in an official statement.

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Kourtney isn't the only celeb wearing a mask as fears around the coronavirus mount. Fellow lifestyle enthusiast Gwyneth Paltrow posted a selfie of herself wearing a black Airnum face mask on Instagram that looks very similar to the one Kourtney was seen wearing.

The 47-year-old actress shared that she was "en route to Paris" when she snapped the picture on Wednesday.

Supermodel Bella Hadid, 23, shared an airplane selfie of herself wearing the white, NIOSH-approved N95 Particulate Filtering Facepiece Respirator during her travels earlier in the week.

Actress Kate Hudson, 40, also highlighted her cautious travel method with a selfie of her own. Though, instead of wearing all the bells and whistles that come with a respirator, she opted for a disposable paper medical mask instead.

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Outside of celebrities wearing face masks, the industry as a whole has boomed amid skyrocketing demand. Top U.S. manufacturers such as Honeywell and 3M have been working overtime to address a mask shortage while other brands are capitalizing on themed merchandise – including fake designer face masks.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
HON HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC. 205.25 +0.12 +0.06%
MMM 3M CO. 106.05 +1.44 +1.38%
AMZN AMAZON.COM INC. 180.38 +0.55 +0.31%

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E-commerce giant Amazon recently warned sellers this week to not spike the prices of face masks since doing so would violate the company's Fair Pricing Policy.

Although the coronavirus has caused a demand for face masks, there is conflicting evidence on whether it is an effective tool.

"I don't think it's necessary for people to wear a face mask as they go about their daily activities," Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City told FOX Business when the U.S. had only five confirmed cases. "The risk of acquiring coronavirus is still quite low at this time."

Pedestrians wearing face masks walk on a sidewalk in western Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

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"The average healthy person does not need to have a mask, and they shouldn't be wearing masks," Dr. Perencevich, an infection prevention specialist told Forbes. "There's no evidence that wearing masks on healthy people will protect them. They wear them incorrectly, and they can increase the risk of infection because they're touching their face more often."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people wash their hands regularly for at least 20 seconds and limit touching one's eyes, nose and mouth to minimize the chance of infection.

FOX Business' Jeanette Settembre contributed to this report.