The CDC does not recommend the use of masks to protect against the coronavirus

The fear of becoming infected with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, has caused a sharp increase in the demand for masks and a consequent shortage, despite the fact that most people who are not sick do not need them.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not recommend that people wear masks to protect themselves from the virus. They should be used by infected people or those who exhibit symptoms such as fever and shortness of breath, as well as health workers.

However, they are sold out in many businesses, while others sell limited quantities to each customer. Amazon monitors its page in an attempt to prevent unscrupulous sellers from taking advantage of panic to raise prices.

In South Korea, rows of hundreds of people were formed to buy them at a store with reduced-price products. The rumor that toilet paper and paper napkins serve as masks has emptied the corresponding shelves of stores in several countries in Asia.

Scarcity affects people who try to protect themselves as well as medical centers.

Some executives in the sector attribute the shortage not only to high demand but also to disruptions in the supply chain. China is by far the world’s leading manufacturer of surgical masks: 50% according to its own calculations. However, factories that have increased production say they have trouble meeting demand. The government has taken over production and exports have fallen sharply.

“Before the epidemic we exported 600,000 to 700,000 surgical masks per month, but now the figure is zero,” said David Peng, manager of the Ningbo Buy Best International Trading Co. in Ningbo, south of Shanghai. The company’s suppliers in Hubei, near the center of the outbreak, have orders to prioritize government orders.

In addition to the shortage of labor, manufacturers say it is difficult to get the raw material from the masks.

“Currently we only receive orders from abroad and try to negotiate with overseas customers to see if it is possible to deliver within a few months,” said Tony Zhou, sales manager at Suzhou Sanical Protective Products Manufacturing Co.

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