It has not been proven that the face masks seen above can effectively protect you against viral infections. That said, these masks are probably able to catch some germs before they reach your mouth or nose. More importantly, they prevent people from touching their mouth or nose (which most people do instinctually). If you are already sick, such masks may keep you from infecting others.

One of the best ways to protect yourself from the virus is to frequently clean your hands, according to the World Health Organization's (WHO) list of recommendations. The WHO recommends alcohol-based hand rub, like the ones seen here in a hospital.

The simpler day-to-day solution is to use water and soap, if you've got some handy. But make sure to wash your hands thoroughly. Health authorities in the US recommend washing your hands for at least 20 seconds, making sure to pay attention to areas like your fingertips, thumbs and underneath your nails.

So here's what the doctors recommend: When coughing and sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with your flexed elbow. Or use tissue — but then immediately throw that tissue away and wash your hands. With your shirt or sweater, however, no, you don't need to throw them away. Do wash them frequently, though, or take them to the dry cleaner's.

Another recommendation that may not work for everybody: Avoid close contact with anyone who has fever and cough! If you have to tend to sick people, make doubly sure to take additional protective measures.

If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early. Avoid public places so you don't infect others. And also, explain to your doctor where you've previously traveled and who you may have come in contact with.

When visiting live markets in areas currently experiencing cases of the novel coronavirus, avoid direct unprotected contact with live animals. That includes any surfaces that are in contact with animals as well.

Cook meat thoroughly. The consumption of raw, or undercooked, animal products should be avoided. Raw meat, milk or animal organs should be handled with care to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods. These are good food safety practices and help prevent the spread of illnesses.

Mounia Lazali, a designer in Algeria, has sewn and donated hundreds of masks – singer Joe Batoury models one of her designs, above. She told DW people "want to assert their culture and their tastes, so I think that the mask will not escape the fashion effect. If that can encourage people to protect themselves more, art will have succeeded in its mission by entering citizens’ everyday lives."

Rwanda-based tailor Alexander Nshimiyimana (second from left, above) told DW he has been producing colorful masks like these because of the stock shortages in the country. Nshimiyimana has tried to keep the price of his masks as affordable as possible so that more people can get access to one. His masks sell for around 50 US cents – while those in Rwanda's pharmacies retail for around US $2.

Liberia-based The Bombchel Factory is an ethical fashion company which helps its all-female staff to become self-sufficient by offering them training in making garments. It is turning unsold skirts into bright face masks like this one, above. For every purchased mask, another gets donated to someone unable to quarantine at home – because they don’t have anywhere to stay.

Kenyan fashion designer David Avido (above), founder of the label 'lookslike avido,' poses with a mask he made, created from leftover cloth. Since the first coronavirus case was confirmed in Kenya in March, 'lookslike avido' has so far created and distributed more than 10,000 masks for free to communities in and around the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

Ange Goufack (left) and her sister Edmonde Kennang (right) have been producing these colorful face masks in Cameroon, with added plastic across the eyes. Since April 13, the government there has made it mandatory for people to wear face masks in public to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

When the coronavirus crisis started, Tunisian designer Myriam Riza (above, adjusting a mask at the workshop of her Miss Anais label) was contacted by hospitals suffering from mask shortages. She produces the masks and distributes them to hospitals using donated fabric. To offset the cost of continuing to provide free masks to clinics, Riza decided to create masks for individual paying customers.

Yemen is home to roughly 3.6 million internally displaced people. With much of their health and sanitation system destroyed by war, these IDPs are highly vulnerable to coronavirus while living in cramped conditions. Volunteers trained by UNICEF are raising awareness on how to keep the disease from spreading.

Syria faces a similar problem as it enters its tenth year of the war. Millions of Syrians live in refugee camps such as Akrabat camp, near the border with Turkey. To explain to families about the risks of coronavirus, UN workers visit the camps and use handmade puppets to explain the dangers of COVID-19.

The long-term effects of natural disasters are also a factor. In the Philippines, public toilets, like those seen here at an evacuation center in Tacloban City, have become a breeding ground for the virus to spread. Sanitation has become even more crucial. The region has been suffering from the after-effects of Typhoon Haiyan for years.

Some people can’t get access to clean drinking water for weeks in many water-scarce parts of the world. The Gwembe Valley has been deeply affected by the drought for the past two years. UNICEF is currently supporting rehabilitation and drilling of 60 boreholes to enforce hand washing at distribution points during the coronavirus pandemic.

Various water stations have been installed across Kenya's public places to provide access to clean water. In Nairobi, a young boy follows instructions as he is shown how to wash hands properly at a water station in Kibera to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Kafa, a 13 year old girl, returns to her family’s caravan carrying a large plastic container filled with water that she has just collected from a community water point. Refugee women in Jordan’s largest refugee camp are now making locally produced soap using natural materials and giving them away to families in need.

Vulnerable countries are thinking beyond soap and water to other hygienic measures. In India, people are encouraged to stitch masks from home. This also brings in money especially for women living in rural areas. This woman is making face masks at the Bihar center of Goonj, an NGO situated across several states of India undertaking disaster relief, humanitarian aid, and community development.

Volunteers from many physically disabled groups are also becoming actively involved in helping to distribute disinfectants across the city of Dhaka. Roman Hossain distributes disinfectants and informs other members of his community about the importance of washing your hands regularly.

There is an urgent need to reduce the impacts of COVID-19 crisis in Huehuetenango, Guatemala in addition to the already existing food crisis caused by the 2019 drought. Indigenous communities wait every day to collect their food and basic hygiene kits where they also get information and recommendations to prevent COVID-19 in local languages.