We don't have any face masks left, say pharmacies

Thursday, April 2, 2020

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

WHILE health officials have changed their stance on people wearing masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19, some local pharmacies say they don’t have any available for sale.

“We don’t have any masks,” said a supervisor at Lowe’s Pharmacy on Soldier Road, who did not give her name. “I am not sure when we are going to get any either.”

An employee at The Friendly Pharmacy in Cable Beach, said none were available and she had no idea when they would be in stock.

Another pharmacy said the masks in stock were only for employees.

“Unfortunately we only have sufficient masks for our staff,” said Laura Charlton, proprietor, Prescription Parlour Pharmacy. “At this time we do not intend to sell masks because we had some before and some of the price points are a lot more expensive than what we want to sell them for and we don’t want the unnecessary fall out from persons thinking we were price gorging so we are just referring them to others who we know are selling them.”

On Tuesday, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said that while medical grade face masks are needed as a priority for healthcare workers and others on the frontline, homemade masks may “provide some protection” to the general public.

“We have moved from some of our strongly held views,” Dr Sands said on 96.9FM show Morning Blend, with host Dwight Strachan.

“For instance, even up to yesterday (Monday), the World Health Organization (WHO) has been saying that face masks are not being recommended. The Bahamas has softened its position a bit and said that look, while we are aware of the evidence, certainly what we have to do first is make sure that face masks are available for front line workers inclusive of healthcare workers, police officers, immigration officers, ambulance drivers, even people that interact with the public.”

He added: “And while homemade face masks do not provide the same level of protection, they probably provide some protection and they reduce the spread of this disease, which except in extenuating circumstances, is spread by droplets.

“So, we’re suggesting that people should consider wearing even a homemade mask, or if they have access to masks, that would be fine.”

Studies suggest the novel coronavirus can survive on surfaces for a few hours to a few days.

The World Health Organisation says COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks.

While some speculate the virus can be airborne, WHO says “the droplets are too heavy to hang in the air. They quickly fall on floors or surfaces.”

WHO advises: “You can be infected by breathing in the virus if you are within one metre of a person who has COVID-19, or by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth before washing your hands.”

Comments

BahamaPundit says...

Masks have been out of stock nationwide for nearly two months.

Posted 2 April 2020, 5:19 p.m. Suggest removal

mrjohnson_59 says...

is true. none can be found!

Posted 2 April 2020, 5:35 p.m. Suggest removal

SP says...

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Anybody ignorant enough to listen to the CDC, Trump or anyone else obviously making rules of convenience on the fly daily to suit their own agendas, instead of **"SIMPLY LOOKING FOR YOURSELVES"** on the internet, and all over TV news, how every other country in this COVID19 war made **ALL** their citizens wear masks!

This is especially for the lost souls among us who know every sports stat, WhatsApp fake news, how the Kardashians are doing, and need the government to tell them to open their eyes and look before crossing the highway.

The following links will answer the questions of why we were lied to in the first place, and should we, or should we not, be wearing masks. Click on the links and read for yourselves:

https://thefederalist.com/2020/03/31/me…

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/top-chinese-h…

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/shoul…

Posted 2 April 2020, 5:27 p.m. Suggest removal

ThisIsOurs says...

Masks by themselves especially the cosmetic ones are an ineffective solution.

What you've not highlighted (it might be detailed in the links), those countries also did wide spread testing, aggressive sanitation exercises in public spaces and removed the infected from the general population. Wearing a mask without the other steps is almost meaningless.**unless** you happen to be among the infected and dont know it...in that case you protecting everybody else from yourself.

Posted 2 April 2020, 6:09 p.m. Suggest removal

OMG....your lack of knowledge, unwillingness to do research before casting an opinion is *really* scary!

Posted 2 April 2020, 7:37 p.m. Suggest removal

see below from the expert who has more knowledge on infectious diseases than you me yiu and all our first and second cousins put together.

**think of it, if what you are proposing is correct, doctors treating known covid patients shouldn't be getting sick**.
as to research Singapore seems to be the gold standard and they did quite a bit more, as mentioned, than tell people to wear masks.

They are clearly saying. yes everyone go ahead and wear masks. **because*** if any of you are **infected** but **dont know** it, everyone else will be protected **from you**. Nobody has said that "cosmetic" masks are protection against anything. literally nobody...

Posted 2 April 2020, 8:16 p.m. Suggest removal

msnbc.com

*The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that wearing a mask is unnecessary for healthy individuals, but Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said federal health officials are actively discussing changing that guidance.*

"*It doesn’t need to be a classical mask. But **something that would** have someone **prevent them from infecting others**," Fauci said to NBC News' Savannah Guthrie on Tuesday night. "This is actively being looked at.*"

they're target is the sick people . Since they dont know everyone who's sick, tell everyone to wear it.

Posted 2 April 2020, 6:24 p.m. Suggest removal

"FINALLY" the great white geniuses in the U.S. have finally decided that you sheeple should be wearing masks.....But not the good N95 ones yet...Lol

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/coro…

They are now debating which hand you sheeple should use to wipe your arsses after taking a dump. Meanwhile, don't wipe.....Stay tuned.

Posted 2 April 2020, 8:11 p.m. Suggest removal

you completely missed "why" theyre advising people to wear masks. Noone has implied a mask would protect a healthy person. They are saying it'll stop the sick people from infecting the rest of us. Since we dont know which of you sick, sure everyone wear it. The people in Singapore are wearing cosmetic masks.

Posted 2 April 2020, 8:26 p.m. Suggest removal

@ThisIsOurs......You continue to be fooled by a class of men in suits calling themselves "leaders" who have always lied to and mislead the entire world.

Just ask yourself one simple question. If masks are vitally important PPE to protect "healthy" doctors and other health professionals, why wouldn't they protect everybody else just as well?

Anyone with even elementary deduction and reasoning skills can figure this out.

In any event, you and anyone else with your thinking can carry on smartly listening to these clowns, and let's see what the end result will be for you in about 18 days from now. Good luck!

Posted 3 April 2020, 10:13 a.m. Suggest removal