LAHORE :No pharmacy or manufactures are selling used masks while a video of a seller selling used mask that went viral had no relation with the registered producers and sellers of surgical, N-95, or other masks.
However, if some roadside vendors are doing such act of selling used mask then the pharmacists and producers of the masks are not responsible for it, said former general secretary Pakistan Pharmacists Association (PPA) Salman while talking to The News.
A video goes viral in which a roadside vendor is selling used masks by picking them from the roadside. The video shows that a vendor picks a mask which was thrown away by a user from his car widow after purchasing a new mask from the same seller. Interestingly, once the car goes away, the seller picks that mask and places it on his stall and sell it to next buyer who is also passing by on a car.
Salman said he also saw that video clip made from a mobile and it was viral on social media platform. However, he believed that such huge quantity of used masks could not be collected in an organised manner that it would be resold by the producers or pharmacy.
“We cannot ignore if some individual is doing such heinous activity but it is still a question that where from one can collect huge quantity of masks.”
The use of masks was increased since the spread of Covid-19 pandemic and the government made it mandatory at the public places. Further, the health practitioners and supporting staff in health sector also increased masks use in the hospitals and clinics during the pandemic.
Salman stressed the need of creating awareness among the masses about discarding the masks after using it likewise the awareness being created for the importance of using a mask during the pandemic. “It is equally important that the general public should be sensitised that discarding a used masks is also very much important to stop the spread of Covid-19 pandemic and other disease similar like use of a mask to avoid Covid-19”, he said adding that the people should also be aware that the surgical gloves they were using should also be destroyed to avoid the reuse. He also said that the PPA already started awareness campaign about the use and discarding the used masks from its platform. However, the government and media efforts are also required alongside the PPA efforts on this issue.
Currently, three different types of masks are being used by the masses, N-95, three ply and single ply local and Chinese made surgical masks and washable re-useable cloth masks. Salman said that no one should mistakenly use a mask used even by same family member, kids, brother, wife or anyone else relative. This is dangerous to use a used mask, he asserted.