Coronavirus has spread across 15 countries, 9000 people are infected and around 200 dead. In this case of a health emergency declared by the World Health Organisation, everyone wants to be safe. There has been a high demand for face masks because it is believed that it will prevent coronavirus. And the high demand has led to a hike in prices. The online stores of Walmart and Amazon are out of the N-95 masks.
Mr. Lloyd-Williams, who is the managing director of the Merthyr-based medical supplies firm, confirmed that he had sold the entire stock of 500 masks to a Chinese buyer from Leicestershire.
Coronavirus is a deadly combination of common cold and SARS. Face masks prevent the contraction of the virus from the air. Health professionals also recommend washing hands regularly to prevent the virus from entering the system.
With the increased demand for respirators, and scarcity of it online, people who need it the most aren’t getting it. Byron Wright had a lung transplant recently. He needs a face mask, so his body doesn’t get infected. But when his wife searched for face masks online, she couldn’t buy any because all were out of stock.
After the coronavirus, Mrs Wright now made sure they have enough face masks in stock. So she bought them in bulk. She said that the prices of the face masks had risen exponentially. Earlier you could get ten masks for 10 British Pounds; now one mask costs from 6-10 British pounds.
It is worrying because patients who need it most won’t have it if the stocks run out. To sooth the increased panic of people, a Public Health Wales (PHW) spokesman said that people must only wear a face mask if recommended by a clinician. There is a low risk of people getting infected with the virus in England, so the ones who need it should use it.