Are face masks effective against coronavirus?

By Emme Rose Santiagudo

Demand for face masks surged in the city and province of Iloilo with several pharmacies and drug stores running out of supply after the confirmation of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the country last week.

On Friday, several stores in Iloilo City posted signs indicating that face masks are already out of stock.

Two pharmacies in Molo districts said face masks ran out as Ilonggo consumers rushed to buy the item on Wednesday and Thursday following reports of suspected cases in Iloilo City.

Based on their monitoring, the Department of Health-Center for Health Development 6 (Western Visayas) confirmed that reports of face mask shortage in Iloilo City.

“We received reports na may shortages gid man but we are still monitoring and we leave it to the LGUs for their next measures,” Dr. Jane Juanico, DOH CHD 6 infectious disease cluster head, said.

However, Juanico reiterated that the faces masks alone will not guarantee safety from the 2019 n-Cov.

“With regards sa paggamit sang aton face masks, not all face masks are really reliable. Face masks will not alone guarantee your safety even if every day or how frequent ka ga-ilis kay droplet ni ang mode of transportation,” she said in an interview on Friday.

Juanico said while face masks can be used as a form of self-protection, she emphasized that frequent hand washing and staying away from crowded places are two key measures to protect oneself from the 2019 n-Cov.

“Main gid gihapon nga protection ang frequent hand washing, cough etiquette, and staying away from crowded places,” she said.

Wearing face masks are more apt for persons who are vulnerable to respiratory diseases such as young children, the elderly, and people with existing health conditions.

Meanwhile, the suggested retail price (SRP) of surgical face masks ranges from P1 to P8, according to DOH.

N95 masks are sold at P45 to P105 apiece.

Juanico said they are continuously monitoring the prices of face masks in the region, emphasizing that Ilonggos can report their complaints to DOH-CHD.

As of Friday, four persons under investigation (PUIs) are recorded in Western Visayas.

Juanico said three of them already tested negative and were discharged from the hospital while they are still confirming the status of the other PUI.