Surgical masks run low at pharmacies as experts try to quell coronavirus fears

Calming fears of a viral outbreak There’s a run on surgical masks, but doctors say they won’t stop you from getting an infection

MONTREAL — Public health experts in Montreal are trying to calm fears over the new coronavirus outbreak.

A sign of the concerns: Surgical masks are out of stock in pharmacies across the region.

"Starting on the weekend, especially, there were cases of serial shopping for, like, the whole inventory of masks," said pharmacist Sherif Shousha.

Shousha said people are travelling from Ontario to his pharmacy in Rigaud, trying to purchase as many masks as possible.

"We have been even approached by a client on the weekend who was asking if we could order hundreds or even thousands of boxes of masks," he said, explaining that some customers want to ship the masks back to family in China.

Shousha said his suppliers are out of stock as well.

MASKS AREN'T THAT EFFECTIVE: EXPERT

Masks aren't as effective as you might think, though, explained infectious diseases expert Dr. Charles Frenette.

"It really has never been shown to be an effective preventive measure in terms of being asymptomatic and preventing infection," said Frenette, who is the medical director of infection control at the McGill University Hospital Centre (MUHC).

Masks are generally used by health care professionals when in close contact with infectious patients, said Frenette, adding that they're often worn for only a few minutes and then thrown away.

"Masks become contaminated, so if you wear them for 10, 15, 20 minutes… You know, that's why we throw them right away because otherwise they get contaminated, so keeping the same mask on does not make sense at all," he explained.

Despite that, some online sellers are trying to capitalize on people's fears, even referencing the new coronavirus directly in a product description. Several surgical masks for sale on Amazon are currently on backorder until the end of February.

RISK IS VERY, VERY LOW

"At this point, in Quebec and Canada, the risk is very, very low. The highest risk is still people who travelled in the Wuhan, Hubei region in China," said Frenette.

Addressing some parents' fears, some Quebec school boards have sent home public health notices, telling parents to watch for fever and shortness of breath if you've recently visited the region.

For everybody else, public health says to remember that it is cold and flu season and to take the same health precautions as normal.