Amid face, surgical masks shortage reports, Cebuanos find other ways to protect selves from n-COV
A pharmacy inside a mall in Cebu City has placed this advisory to let customers know that they have ran out of surgical and other face masks on January 30, 2020, hours after DOH announced the first confirmed case of 2019-nCoV in the country. | CDN Digital Photo by Morexette Marie B. Erram
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Anfernae Ty’s recent visits to the local pharmacies in uptown Cebu City to buy surgical masks has been fruitless since the second week of January 2020.
Now that health officials have confirmed on January 30 the first case of the 2019 novel coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV, she said buying even one of the masks would be more difficult.
Anfernae, a 23-year-old college student of a state university located in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City, said she also heard reports from peers that surgical and face masks were allegedly sold out in other pharmacies.n
“As of the moment, I only paid a visit to the pharmacies in a mall in Barrio Luz (Cebu City), but I heard those located in I.T. Park have also stopped selling (face masks),” she said.
Read more: DOH to public: Stay healthy, protect yourselves from coronavirus, other diseases
Wanting not to let her guard down every time she goes out of her boarding house, Anfernae instead focuses on living a healthier lifestyle by purchasing fruits, ascorbic acid or other sources of Vitamin C, taking exercises, and practicing personal hygiene more often.
“I’m also planning to stay away from crowded places, getting enough sleep, water, and eating healthy,” Anfernae added.
Kristine (not her real name) also encountered the same problem with Anfernae even days before the DOH announced on January 30, 2020 that a patient confined in a Metro Manila-based hospital tested positive of the 2019-nCoV – becoming the first confirmed case in the country.
READ MORE: BREAKING: DOH confirms first case of coronavirus in PH
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Kristine, 24, a psychology graduate who now works in Lapu-Lapu City in Mactan Island, said she was unable to purchase surgical or face masks in pharmacies near her workplace.
And like Anfernae, she also opted to stepping up personal hygiene, and keeping check on her health and lifestyle.
“I’m aware that I’m speaking from a privileged point of viewm but with the current situation we’re into, for me, it’s better to invest on a healthier lifestyle, and clean hygiene,” said Kristine.
Just hours after the Department of Health (DOH) announced that they just recorded the first confirmed case of the 2019-nCoV, also known as Wuhan coronavirus, social media has been abuzz of several pharmacies reportedly running out of supplies of surgical and face masks.
But right after DOH made the announcement, the World Health Organization in the Philippines (WHO – Philippines), has issued their central office’s health advisory on the use of masks in the community, in home care and health care settings.
While acknowledging that medical masks are one of the prevention measures to limit the spread of respiratory diseases, WHO, however, stressed that masks alone are insufficient in terms of providing the adequate level of protection, and that other equally relevant measures should be adopted.
“If masks are to be used, this measure must be combined with hand hygiene and other IPC measures to prevent the human-to-human transmission of 2019-nCov,” WHO stated.
The world’s largest healthcare institution also said wearing medical masks, when not indicated, might also cause unnecessary cost, procurement burden and might create a false sense of security that could lead to neglecting other essential measures such as hand hygiene practices.
Community Setting
In a community setting, individuals with respiratory problems should wear medical masks, and also seek medical treatment, according to WHO’s advisory.
While those who don’t have any respiratory problems are advised to maintain at least a 1-meter distance from any individual with 2019-nCoV respiratory symptoms; perform hand hygiene frequently; observe sneezing and coughing etiquette; and refrain from touching mouth and nose.
“A medical mask is not required (for individuals without respiratory problems), as no evidence is available on its usefulness to protect non-sick persons,” it added.
Community setting refers to public spaces. While home care and health care settings are those for people in close contact with patients of 2019-nCoV hospitalized informally and formally, respectively.
WHO has also released guidelines on how to effectively manage the use of masks.
These include the importance of placing mask carefully to cover mouth and nose, and tie securely to minimize any gaps between the face and the mask; avoid touching the mask while in use; removing the mask by not touching the front but removing the lace from behind; clean hands after remove or inadvertently touching the used mask; regularly replacing masks and not re-using them; and discarding single-use masks appropriately.
WHO also emphasized that cotton masks are not recommended under any circumstance.
But both for Anfernae and Kristine, they are still keen on purchasing surgical masks as added protection.
According to the Department of Health, a 38-year-old female patient is now confined in San Lazaro Hospital for testing positive of the 2019-nCoV. The patient came from Wuhan City, and arrived in the country last January 21 at Cebu on a direct flight from Hong Kong.
READ MORE: DOH, BOQ look into Cebu and Dumaguete travel history of confirmed Wuhan coronavirus patient
She was admitted at the hospital on January 25, after visiting not only Cebu but also Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental. The Negros Oriental Provincial Government has hoisted the red alert as response to the development.
READ MORE: Wuhan coronavirus threat: Governor Degamo places Negros Or. on ‘Red Alert’
RELATED STORY: Dumaguete mayor urges public to be calm, vigilant amid n-CoV threat
Access the full advisory from WHO here. /dbs
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