Makassar, April 28: Lip-reading suddenly got tricky when everyone covered their face during the coronavirus pandemic, but Indonesian tailors have hit upon the perfect solution -- see-through masks.

One husband and wife duo in Makassar on Sulawesi island started producing cloth masks with transparent plastic in the middle to help fellow deaf people. How to Make Face Mask Using Cotton Bandana and Hair Ties at Home Without Sewing! Watch Easy Step-by-Step DIY Tutorial.

"Since the pandemic started, everyone is wearing facemasks. For deaf people, we can't understand what others are saying because we can't read their lips," said 52-year-old Faizah Badaruddin.

Indonesians Dwi Rahayu (L) and her husband Elfiandi who are deaf and mute communicate while wearing face masks, (Photo Credits: AFP)

"There were a lot of misunderstandings," she added. Badaruddin and her husband used to sew cushions, bed sheets and curtains for customers.

But when orders dried up, Badaruddin looked up instructional videos online to work out how to produce masks for the hearing impaired.

Indonesians Dwi Rahayu (L) and her husband Elfiandi who are deaf and mute display their face masks. (Photo Credits: AFP)

Since early April, the little business has been producing as many as two dozen transparent masks a day in small, medium and large sizes. They sell for between 10,000 rupiah to 15,000 rupiah (65 cents to 97 cents) each.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 28, 2020 12:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).