Buying masks here is a tricky proposition
Where does one buy a mask in the midst of a pandemic?
As it turns out, that’s a bit of a tricky proposition in Montreal, where over 2,000 people have died of COVID -19 and thousands of new confirmed cases are reported each week. Six of the 10 Montreal pharmacies contacted by the Montreal Gazette Tuesday said they were out of N95 protective masks and couldn’t say if or when they’d get a new shipment.
And this was just a few minutes after Premier François Legault said the government is advising all Quebecers to cover their faces when leaving the house.
“I expect demand will go up, but our shelves are already empty,” said one employee at a pharmacy in Côte-st-luc, which has been under a state of emergency since March 17. “When the government gets a new shipment of protective equipment, they distribute them based on priority. Obviously, priority goes to front-line workers and long-term care facilities. We’re low on that list.”
Pharmacies aren’t the only places running out of N95 masks. Three hardware stores in the Sudouest told the Montreal Gazette they’re out of stock. Normally construction workers use the masks to shield themselves from dust, but they’re the same masks medical professionals use.
One pharmacy in Côte-desneiges said it stopped selling disposable masks a long time ago, opting instead to sell reusable ones. They go for about $6 a unit, and they’re machine-washable.
Only one other pharmacy contacted by the Montreal Gazette said they sell reusable masks.
“To make sure people wear them, we need a mass distribution strategy,” Mayor Valérie Plante told reporters Tuesday. “But to do that, we’ll need the state to step in and help.”
The city of Montreal has produced 50,000 masks, the mayor said. Officials have called on the provincial and federal governments to help bolster the supply.
The absence of readily available equipment has created a secondary market, where private vendors are selling N95 masks at a huge markup. A businessman posting on a number of Montreal Facebook groups said he had a supply of 10,000 masks.
Whereas a 15-pack would normally sell for $15 at retail, the man sold boxes of 20 N95 masks for roughly $160. In an email obtained by the Montreal Gazette, he told one buyer the masks go for $8 a unit but clients have to buy at least 20 boxes, at a total of $3,200.
Since putting his ads on Facebook in March, the seller has deleted many of the posts.
There are alternatives to buying a mask. There’s no shortage of online tutorials on how to make your own face covering using household materials, but many require some basic sewing skills.
Legault said wearing a mask isn’t quite as important as washing your hands and trying to not touch objects in public, as they may contain traces of the virus.
One expert says wearing a mask won’t eliminate transmission of COVID -19, but does reduce the risk of asymptomatic carriers spreading the sickness. In a statement emailed to the Montreal Gazette, Mcgill University professor Parisa Ariya said masks “will save lives.”
Ariya, a world leader in the study of bioaerosol transmission, says a good homemade mask will block “nearly all” microbial droplets from being spread to another person.