There are no masks in pharmacies. “They are primarily for the protection of infected people”

The Provincial Pharmaceutical Inspectorate in Katowice collects information on the supply of protective masks in Silesian pharmacies and pharmacy points. The first comments of pharmacists about the lack of masks appear on Twitter. On auction portals, the price for one mask often reaches PLN 10. It is worth knowing who needs masks and whether they really protect against coronavirus infection (and not only).

Checking the supply of pharmacies

The Provincial Pharmaceutical Inspectorate sent a letter to pharmacies and pharmacy outlets asking for information on the supply of protective masks. We can read in the letter that “in connection with the letter of the Provincial Crisis Management Center of the Department of Security and Crisis Management of the Silesian Voivodeship Office in Katowice, I am asking for information about the current supply of the generally accessible pharmacy / pharmacy with protective masks”.

Information about the letter appeared on Twitter. One of the pharmacists provided her.

As you can easily guess, there are no masks in pharmacies.

Increased interest in masks

The ktomalek.pl website has made available a graph on the number of searches on the website of protective masks. It shows a clear increase in searches recently. The first “peak” can be seen in early February. The real interest in protective masks, however, only appeared at the end of this month and coincided with the first information about the coronavirus outbreak in Italy.

Zobacz: The number of people infected in Italy is increasing. The coronavirus is spreading across Europe

Already at the end of January, we informed that in Poland there is a problem with the availability of medical masks in pharmacies and wholesalers.

– We bought 200 such masks and after one day we only have 84 left. Patients ask a lot. There is a shortage of them in wholesalers, so the situation is slowly getting difficult – said a pharmacist from the pharmacy at ul. Złota in Warsaw.

In another pharmacy in Warsaw, pharmacists say that patients even “jumped on masks”.

– Patients ask if they can buy masks from us. Unfortunately, they are no longer available in wholesalers and that is why there is a problem – a pharmacist from Apteka Słoneczna in Łódź explains in an interview with Medonet. Her words are confirmed by a colleague from the Centrum pharmacy in Lublin.

The situation is similar now. Most pharmacies lack antibacterial masks and gels. Pharmacists inform about it, among others via Twitter:

Increase in mask prices

After almost a month, only one thing changed – the price of the masks. One Twitter user writes that his wife used to order face masks for the clinic. She managed to “snatch” the last four packages from the warehouse. However, the price was surprising – before the “era of coronavirus”, a pack of 50 cost 5 zlotys. Now the price was PLN 160 net.

The increase in mask prices can also be seen on the popular auction site. It may seem that the addition of “coronavirus” or the more commonly used “corona virus” automatically raises the price of the mask. At auctions, you can buy a package of 50 pieces at the price of PLN 990. A single surgical mask costs from 10 to 15 zlotys. “Antivirus filtering” masks reach prices from 60 to even 400 PLN per piece.

Before we start searching the internet and running around nearby pharmacies to buy protective masks, it is worth answering the question whether we really need them. Unfortunately, despite official announcements, most people still think that the mask protects against disease. Meanwhile, it is completely different.

Do masks protect against coronavirus?

It is necessary to clearly and clearly say what the purpose of the protective masks is. The World Health Organization recommends that people who have fever, difficulty breathing, sneeze and cough should wear face masks and see a doctor. Healthy people do not need protective masksunless they are in the same room as people suspected of having a viral infection.

“Masks are primarily used to protect infected people so that they do not pose a threat to the environment” – explained Colonel prof. Krzysztof Korzeniewski, head of the Department of Epidemiology and Tropical Medicine, Military Institute of Medicine, in an interview with PAP Life.

«When worn by uninfected people, they have a greater effect on the well-being of the wearer than they are of epidemiological significance. Masks commonly used, for example in health care, have so large pores that their effectiveness in blocking microorganisms escaping from the exhaled air is negligible »- he added.

WHO also explains that the mask does not protect against infection, and what’s more, it can become a potential source of this infection if the wearer does not follow other preventive measures – does not wash his hands and do not sanitize them with alcohol-based products.

The mask itself should be put on under certain conditions. First, disinfect your hands. The mask should be worn so that it covers the mouth, nose and chin. There should also be no gaps between the face and the mask. You should also not touch the mask while using it, and replace it as soon as it becomes wet. We do not re-use disposable masks.

Effective protection against the coronavirus (and other infections) largely depends on good hygiene – washing your hands frequently with warm water and soap, avoiding crowded rooms, especially during periods of increased illness, and the use of disinfectants.

Up-to-date information on the COVID-19 coronavirus:

1. What are the symptoms of the disease caused by COVID-19?
2. COVID-19 Coronavirus Coverage [Updated MAP]
3. Recommendations for travelers returning from Italy to Poland
4. Home quarantine – what is it and how to do it?