GUWAHATI: In the midst of coronavirus outbreak, the N-95 masks as well as hand sanitizers are fast selling out in pharmacies in the city.
Amidst the skyrocketing sales of these masks and hand sanitisers in Guwahati, residents are finding it difficult to get their hands on the N-95 masks.
“We are getting a lot of customers for N-95 masks in our shop and our stock is fast selling. To add to this, people from Guwahati are buying masks from here and sending them to their relatives living in different places like Rajasthan, Delhi etc,” said an employee of New Life Pharmacy in Ulubari.
N-95 masks are respiratory protective masks which fit closely to the face and are supposed to cover the mouth as well as the nose. They help in effective filtering of airborne particles.
Further, a GNRC pharmacy employee said that the regular surgical masks cost anywhere between Rs 90-150 depending on their thickness and quality.
“I went twice to buy the N-95 mask yesterday and got it for Rs 270. Everyone in my family is concerned about taking preventive measures for coronaviurs,” said Abinandan Mishra, a Guwahatian.
There are however different variants of the mask being sold in the city the process of which go up to Rs 500.
Similarly hand sanitisers, too, are selling out fast. “I went to at least 7 chemist shops in Pan Bazaar to buy sanitizer but it wasn't available. I finally found one at a general store in Fancy Bazaar,” said a resident of Athgaon.
A chemist shop owner informed that generally the sale of sanitizers is low in Guwahati, but due to the spread of coronavirus, it got sold out.
It is to be mentioned that the N-95 masks were also out of stock in Apollo Pharmacy, GS Road.
Meanwhile, a total of 31 positive cases for coronavirus have been reported in India till now.