Coronavirus-inspired nail art becomes latest bizarre beauty trend

Coronavirus nail art has taken off as an unusual trend amid the coronavirus outbreak.

While governments are urging their citizens to focus on hand hygiene, the hashtag “coronavirusnails” is slowly gaining traction on Instagram.

Some users have shared images of nails decorated to look like mask-clad faces, while others are painted to resemble a bottle of disinfectant spray.

Others are adorned with artistic interpretations of the virus which, when viewed under a microscope appears round with a “crown” of proteins jutting out from its centre.

Instead of spotlighting her client’s talons, one beautician showed off the measures she was taking to protect herself against the disease.

Captioning the image: “How y’all will find me next week! Lol” the nail technician can be seen sporting an elaborate suit, apparently made up of black bin liners, with eye holes topped with glasses so she can continue her meticulous work.

The pandemic has seen more than 135,000 cases confirmed worldwide so far and more than 4,500 deaths.

England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty is among those to stress the importance of maintaining the public’s “energy and enthusiasm” faced with the crisis.

Beauty salons, gyms and other public places remain open as the UK enters the “delay” phase of its virus-tacking “battle plan”.

When asked if he was worried about contracting the disease himself at a press conference on Thursday, Boris Johnson replied that he was washing his hands.