Laurence Dollimore
MALAGA pharmacies have failed to keep up with the sudden boom in demand for air filtration masks following the Coronavirus outbreak.
According to Diario Sur, in the past week, pharmacies across Malaga have sold out of biological filtration masks.
The advanced masks have a valve in their centres which blocks dangerous particles.
While the less effective and more basic felt masks are still available, they are running low too.
Diego Rodriguez, the head of the College of Pharmacists in Malaga, told Diario Sur they have been taken by surprise.
“We have asked for more masks to be sent, but the pharmaceutical distributors have also used up their stocks since it is a product which usually doesn’t sell.”
The masks are not covered by medical regulators in the same way as medicines are.
It means there is no protocol in place to avoid shortages in case of a sudden influx of demand.
The mask shortage comes as a man was isolated at the regional Malaga hospital yesterday in yet another suspected case of Coronavirus.
He had admitted himself to the emergency room with flu-like symptoms before revealing he had been in contact with people from Wuhan, the epicentre of the contagion.
He is remaining in isolation until his test results come back.
