Olympic swimmer Lisa Curry has encouraged her followers to make their own face masks after the coronavirus pandemic.

The 57-year-old took a selfie of herself with her husband Mark Tabone on Wednesday as they donned her handmade knitted facemasks.

She urged fans to use “whatever” they had to fashion themselves a face mask like she had after experts urged the public not to purchase masks worldwide.

“If you need a mask or can't buy a mask... then make one,” Lisa wrote on Instagram.

“Crochet, knit, use an old shirt and cut it up with some elastic, use a bandana. Whatever!”

Curry then went on to condemn people for “hoarding food” as well as “abusing” supermarket staff.

“Stop hoarding food and just buy the food you need for a week at a time. And stop abusing sales staff in supermarkets. It's completely unnecessary and very un-Australian.

“A few of my friends work in supermarkets and they are completely drained. Don't bite the hand that feeds you. Take care of each other and continue to support local businesses,” she said. 

Although we applaud Lisa's creativity and encouragement, according to The Guardian: "wearing a face mask is certainly not an iron-clad guarantee that you won’t get sick – viruses can also transmit through the eyes and tiny viral particles, known as aerosols, can penetrate masks. However, masks are effective at capturing droplets, which is a main transmission route of coronavirus, and some studies have estimated a roughly fivefold protection versus no barrier alone (although others have found lower levels of effectiveness).

"If you are likely to be in close contact with someone infected, a mask cuts the chance of the disease being passed on. If you’re showing symptoms of coronavirus, or have been diagnosed, wearing a mask can also protect others. So masks are crucial for health and social care workers looking after patients and are also recommended for family members who need to care for someone who is ill – ideally both the patient and carer should have a mask.

"However, masks will probably make little difference if you’re just walking around town or taking a bus so there is no need to bulk-buy a huge supply."