With Wuhan coronavirus panic reaching a fever pitch in Hong Kong, it’s no surprise that Hongkongers have a lot of pressing questions: Where can I buy face masks? Do I have enough supplies at home? Are they going to close the border? And, most importantly, how do you wear a surgical mask if you only have one ear?

Thankfully, pro-dem district councillor Andrew Chiu — who famously had one of his ears bitten off while grappling with a knife-wielding assailant at a protest last year — was there to at least answer that last one.

Indeed, netizens wanted to know, with the question circulating on social media after photos appeared online of Chiu handing out free face masks to constituents in Tai Koo Shing.

After some people started resharing the pictures, Chiu chimed in with a post of his own, complete with photos of his face mask rig and an explanation that he uses three rubber bands tied together to hold the mask in place

“In order to protect yourself and public health, you must wear a mask even when it’s difficult!” Chiu said in his post, adding “#CommunityAwarenessIsImportant.”

Chiu lost his ear in November after intervening in a brawl outside a mall, where a man had allegedly attacked several people outside with a knife. People had been gathering in malls across the city for flash protests that day.

He had an operation to have the severed part of his ear reattached, but it ultimately had to be removed because of tissue damage.

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