The possibility of the outbreak of new coronavirus pneumonia in the United States has raised the vigilance of the American people, and masks in stores or online have begun to rise in price or sell out. However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in its prevention guidelines, says healthy people don't have to wear masks. Many netizens sarcastically said that it is because the mask is not enough, so tell everyone not to wear it? In fact, the United States has indeed seen a shortage of masks, especially N95.
On the 27th local time, CDC said on Twitter that it is not recommended to use masks to prevent the new coronavirus at present. Americans can take daily precautions, such as staying home when sick and washing their hands with soap and water to prevent the spread of respiratory diseases.
On the CDC's website, there are more detailed guidelines for preventing the coronavirus. The CDC advises Americans to "avoid close contact with patients; do not touch their eyes, nose, and mouth; stay home when sick; cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing; disinfect frequently objects and surfaces; and wash their hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds."
Referring to masks, the CDC said, "It is not recommended that people in good health wear masks to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including the spread of the new crown virus." ”
"People with symptoms of COVID-19 should wear masks to prevent transmission to others. The use of masks is also important for health workers and those caring for patients in close proximity (at home or in health facilities). ”
Screenshot of the CDC website
In the message on CDC's Twitter, most netizens said that the suggestion of "not wearing a mask" is very unreliable.
Someone pointed out to the point, is this because there are not enough masks?
However, some people affirmed the CDC's "frequent hand washing" recommendation:
No wonder Trump has been stressing at the press conference to wash more hands and solve the case!
Twitter screenshots
U.S. Official: There is currently only a small fraction of it that can be used immediately in the U.S
Indeed, U.S. officials recently admitted that the U.S. is currently tight on the supply of N95 masks for medical personnel.
According to the US CBS, on the 26th, US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Hazard talked about the issue of various masks in front of the House Appropriations Subcommittee. Asked about the N95 mask, he said: "This is one of our medical devices, mainly for medical staff. N95 masks must be worn carefully to protect workers. ”
Hazard also said, "If you don't wear it properly, you'll fumble to wear it." You have to touch your face, and this is the first way you get sick, which is to touch your face with unclean hands. ”
In addition, Hazard said that the United States needs to stockpile about 300 million N95 masks for medical workers. He confirmed that only a small fraction of the U.S. is currently ready to use.
According to Reuters, on the 27th, CDC director Robert Redfield said in a subcommittee of the House that ordinary Americans do not need to buy N95 masks at this time, he said, "These masks have no role in the community, and these masks need to be provided to medical staff on a priority basis." ”
He added: "We remain committed to aggressive containment measures, and I want the American public to know that the risk is low at the moment." ”
The price of masks in the United States is rising
Still, Americans, fearful of an outbreak, are snapping up masks.
According to USA Today, on Tuesday (25th), cdC said at a press conference that within 24 hours after the virus spread in the American community, the online price of some medical masks rose.
Data from Keepa, which tracks Amazon's price changes, shows that at Amazon, a box of disposable masks priced at $125 on the 23rd soared to $220/ box on the 26th.
As of the 25th, the price of each 100 basic masks has more than tripled to $14.99. A day later (26th), the price of this mask rose by another $3 and was subsequently removed from shelves.
Keepa's data also shows that on the 25th, Amazon's third-party seller that provided medical grade N95 masks raised the price of masks from $38 to $81.
According to Wired magazine, Amazon sent an email to sellers warning them that the price increase for masks did not meet its fair pricing policy.
Offline, masks are also facing a situation of short supply.
The shelves of masks in shopping malls are almost sold out Image source: US media
KHOU, a local media outlet in Houston, a CBS-affiliated television station, reported that in the past few days, people have waited in long lines to buy N95 masks from the Holcombe Medical Supply Center.
Houston, Americans lined up to buy masks video screenshot
Demand soared last month, the boss said, "We've been contacting our suppliers to provide us with masks so we can serve our employees and make them feel safe in the environment." ”
As suppliers raised prices because of a shortage of masks, the store's N95 masks rose to $20 to $25 each.
"Everybody's crazy, we're doing the fastest (to produce masks)"
CBS reported on February 26 local time that Mike Bowen, executive vice president and partner of Prestige Ameritech, the largest surgical mask manufacturer in the United States, said, "Everyone is crazy, we are at the fastest speed (producing masks)." ”
Screenshot of CBS News
Their masks are generally more expensive than those in other countries, but the demand is enormous. Bowen estimates that demand for their company's products is about 1,000 times what would normally be. In the past, there were few calls asking about masks, and now they take about 100 calls a day.
Bowen explained that there is currently no inventory to meet the demand for more masks. Since the outbreak, daily order demand has ranged from 1 million to 100 million masks, and his company with only about 100 employees cannot meet these needs.
Bowen said that despite the unprecedented challenges, his company has yet to add staff or extend production time. Hiring more employees and working longer hours may help meet growing demand within the U.S., he explained, but if the outbreak subsides, his business will be forced to downsize. "We're in a dilemma, we don't like layoffs," he said. ”
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