Masks, hand sanitizer on short supply in St. John's due to COVID-19 concerns, says pharmacist

A St. John's pharmacist says requests for masks are becoming more and more frequent, as the number of novel coronavirus patients grows worldwide.

There haven't been any cases in Newfoundland and Labrador, but Robert Doyle says people have been coming to him with questions about masks.

"We're finding in the last couple of weeks, it's almost every day we're getting either someone comes to the store or calls us on the phone," Doyle told CBC's On The Go. "Up to that point, we really didn't have too much request for the mask but it's certainly picking up."

Doyle, who operates Neighbourhood Pharmacy in St. John's, said the masks are getting harder to get. Along with an increase in demand, there's been a shortage of supply from the wholesalers he deals with.

Doyle said N95 masks — which claim to block 95 per cent of air particles — are being put on backorder, and he's had to limit customers from buying more than one box.

Mike Coady works for Sinclair Dental in St. John's, a company that supplies equipment, including masks, to dental practices in the city. 

Coady said the company has gone through more masks in the last two days than it usually does in two months. Stock has been decimated and is on backorder, he added.

"It's really ramped up in the last several weeks," Coady said.

"We're just coming back to the customers and saying we have no stock, and no estimated time of arrival when we're going to be able to stock these masks." 

In 2002 SARS — severe acute respiratory syndrome — swept the globe, resulting in 774 deaths worldwide.

Coady said the current coronavirus epidemic feels much the same. 

"[It's the] same exact thing happening. If you speak to some of the senior people that have been around customer service and in the dental business back then, it's a repeat of that," he said.

"It's certainly an issue.… There's no end in sight."

Globally, there's been a massive swell in demand for the masks. A search of classified sites show people selling boxes of them for between $10 and $30 per mask in Canadian cities. Boxes of N95 masks are selling for as much as $600.

The push for the product comes despite mixed advice on how effective they are. Experts say masks do not help protect you from getting COVID-19, but will help you prevent spreading it.

In the United States, Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams urged people to stop buying masks, since it is not effective for the general public and cuts into the supply for medical professionals that are exposed to COVID-19.

Doyle believes people just want to feel safe.

"Some people like the reassurance, so perhaps it's peace of mind," he said.

Aside from masks, Doyle said hand sanitizer is also becoming sparse. The best way to protect yourself from any virus is to keep your hands clean.

He's been advising people to wash their hands thoroughly with water and soap, as well as disinfecting surfaces and staying home if you show any symptoms of illness.

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