At the news of the fresh lock-down from today due to a sudden surge in Covid-19 infection and death rates, people are found to rush-buy face masks and other protective gears without checking for the quality.
Experts warn that many people in general are found to be attracted to buying fashionable coloful face masks, ordinary hand gloves and antiseptic hand sprays supposing that they would protect them from viral infection like the Covid-19.
However, most of the face masks, hand gloves and in some cases the hand sprays are found to be ineffective as they follow no science. There are health safety risks associated with buying such protective health gears without checking for actual quality, experts warn.
A leading pathologist working at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University & Hospital told this correspondent, “A medical face mask, is a personal protective equipment used by health professionals during medical procedures. It usually prevents airborne transmission of infections by blocking the transmission of pathogens (primarily bacteria and viruses) shed in respiratory droplets and aerosols into and from the users mouth and nose.”
He explained, “Surgical masks having electret filter are made of a nonwoven fabric created using a melt blowing process and it is highly technical and must pass quality tests before it is marketed. But such masks are rarely available on the streets except for a few well reputed pharmacies.”
Similarly, hand gloves available on the streets are also not of good quality. Many are made of simple fabrics while some are made from very thin layers of rubber which can often break and lead to contamination.
Not all hand sprays and gels available on the streets are effective as they may not have the right chemical in the right proportions to destroy microbes that rest on our skin or even clothes.
Meanwhile, this correspondent during his visit to several places in the city found hundreds of vendors selling such protective gears displayed on three-wheeler carts or vans.
Badsha Miah, a local vendor at the Mohakhali area was seen selling variety of masks including masks made of common fabrics, Chinese KN95, N95 and surgical ones on Sunday.
Colorful bottled hand sanitizers with various names brands were displayed as well. When asked he said, “I have no particular knowledge about the quality of the masks I sell. I am more interested in making profits as soon as possible.”
“We used to buy a box of 50pcs of the masks at Tk 50-70 earlier, but the price has suddenly gone up due to the recent surge in the infection rates and now we buy the same quality of masks in boxes at Tk 100 per box,” he added.
Shanto Miah, a passerby was found negotiating for price of a piece of fabric mask. He was not concerned about the quality but later readily bought the piece when he learned that it was re-useable after being washed.
“I used to wear surgical masks before. But it’s really hot out here and I find fabric made ones more comfortable. Moreover, these can be used for several times.”
This is one of many common scenes in the country, especially of the capital Dhaka. The country is abundant with fake protection materials including low quality masks. These products are randomly being made in various unspecified factories located in Chawkbazar, Mitford, Babubazar, Keraniganj, Gazipur, Badda, Nayabazar and in many areas of Old Dhaka.
None of these seek approval for proper effectiveness in connection with health safety.
Numerous vendors are found selling these on the streets in the capital. Ordinary shops, grocery stores, electric stores, tea stalls, and shops in shopping malls are said to be selling such health protective gears as they fetch huge margins of profits.
In recent times, Coronavirus cases have been on the rise again, even more than what the country faced at the first wave last year. Emphasis is being laid on compliance with other protocols including health safety and hygiene rules.
However, there are concerns about the potential threats from coronavirus due to the lack of proper protective equipment. Experts say that the use of unsafe protective equipment can have the opposite effect.
In March last year, the demand for all types of protective equipment, including masks and hand sanitizers, increased with the rise of cases of Coronavirus in the country. Finding the conundrum as an opportunity, unscrupulous traders increased the price of these items more than once.
An ordinary face mask which used to cost only Tk 5, now cost Tk 30-40 apiece. In the face of such selling spree of protective gears without having any monitoring the infection rate could still go up as most of the masks are hand sanitizers are not certified by proper authority.
