N95 Mask Shortage... Fear of Community Pneumonia Spreads Despite Not SARS

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi] The unexplained pneumonia outbreak originating in Wuhan, China, has sparked fear beyond mainland China, leading to a surge in sales of N95 masks in Hong Kong, similar to those used during the 2003 SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak.

On the 7th, the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that N95 masks are currently being sold at two to three times their usual price in Hong Kong, with supplies unable to meet demand due to shortages. Many online retailers and pharmacies have run out of N95 stock, making it difficult for consumers to purchase them.

A retailer explained, "Masks that used to be sold for 10 to 14 Hong Kong dollars per pack are now priced at 24 Hong Kong dollars," adding, "Suppliers keep raising the prices."

The N95 mask shortage in Hong Kong comes amid the Chinese government's denial that the unexplained pneumonia is SARS and its statement that no human-to-human transmission cases have been found. Having experienced the SARS outbreak in 2002-2003, which caused about 650 deaths including in mainland China and Hong Kong, there is a growing distrust of the Chinese government's announcements in Hong Kong.

Currently, 59 cases of unexplained pneumonia have been reported in Wuhan, and Hong Kong has announced 21 patients showing suspected symptoms such as fever, respiratory infection, and pneumonia after visiting Wuhan within the last 14 days.

In Hong Kong, there is speculation that the unexplained pneumonia virus may be transmissible between humans. Consequently, calls are increasing for China to provide more transparent and accurate information regarding the cluster pneumonia. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also stated that information is limited to fully assess the overall risk of this unexplained pneumonia.

Meanwhile, Chinese health authorities and the WHO are currently conducting pathogen identification through bacterial culture work. It is reported that confirming the final diagnosis will take one to two weeks, drawing attention to whether the pathogen can be identified before the Lunar New Year (Chunjeol), when hundreds of millions of people travel.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.