BHUBANESWAR: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) scare has gripped the State. While the good news is that no one from Odisha has tested positive, people are in no mood to take a chance and have resorted to panic buying of masks and hand sanitisers pushing up the prices multiple times.

Such is the demand for masks that many chemist shops in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack have run out of stock and suppliers have not been able to replenish it as demand for the protective gear shot up in the last three days.

While N95 masks have almost vanished from shelves, the price of v44+, Magnum and surgical masks soared almost four to five times. The masks, which were sold for `30 per piece a week back, are now being quoted at `150 to `200. The cost of N95 masks almost doubled before those went out of stock.

Market sources said more than 50,000 masks have been sold in the twin cities in the last few days after the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry issued advisories suggesting people, who are sick and develop symptoms of sneezing and coughing, to use masks if they attend any public gathering.

“I have sold more than 1,000 masks in the last three days. Since school and college Board examinations are going on people are demanding masks in bulk. A school teacher came looking for 100 masks but we had run out of stock by then,” said Anil Lenka of Ranjan Medical Store along Janpath.

Stockists too complained that they are out of stock as suppliers and manufacturers are unable to meet the sudden spike in demand.

Similar is the situation with hand sanitisers. The commonly used hand sanitisers of Dettol and Himalaya are not available with many chemists. The stores that have some stock are selling the products of different quantities at prices ranging from `200 to `500.

President of Utkal Chemists’ and Druggists’ Association’s P Satyanarayan said the sudden spike in demand has given rise to such a situation. “We have written to manufactures to supply products as soon as possible,” he added.

Meanwhile, the physicians have appealed people not to buy disposable masks from pharmacies. “Please leave those masks for hospital use. Because you are overenthusiastic and overprotective, a health worker might suffer from scarcity,” appealed a doctor in social media.

In-charge Drugs Controller Mamina Patnaik on Friday asked the drugs inspectors to conduct surprise raids and find out if any chemist is hoarding masks and charging high price. They have been directed to keep a tab on the situation, she added.

Imports, exports affected
Bhubaneswar: The coronavirus epidemic has cast a spell on imports and exports in the country, Advisor (Power) of Ministry of External Affairs Santosh Kumar said on Friday. Kumar was here to attend a seminar on ‘Business opportunities in GoI-supported Exim Bank’s Lines of Credit Programme’. “Goods are not coming from the countries affected by COVID-19. The situation is not good right now and it is unlikely to improve very soon. We are keeping a close watch. Hopefully, the virus will subside as temperature rises,” he said. He also expected that spread of the virus in affected countries will come down drastically after which exports, imports and other trade and business will automatically get improved and balanced. “We have already started facing shortage of materials and goods that are generally imported from countries like China as many manufacturing units there have been shut down and exports came to a standstill. Keeping that in mind we have also restricted exports of certain items from India,” he informed. On shortage of masks, sanitisers and other medical consumables, Kumar said States have been asked to monitor the trade and take immediate action against those who are raking in the moolah by creating false scarcity.