Coronavirus fear sends Sydney into mask overdrive as seventh Australian infected in Queensland
Peering from above their surgical masks the eyes of commuters across Sydney on Wednesday night registered a deep anxiety about the spread of the Coronavirus in NSW. The government has escalated its response and will release a million masks as a seventh person was diagnosed in Australia overnight.
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The eyes of commuters, peering from above their surgical masks in Sydney on Wednesday, registered a deep anxiety about the spread of the new coronavirus in NSW.
Despite guidance from Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy that there is no need to wear a mask, they have been flying off the shelves.
Fear is spreading a lot faster than the virus.
On the Western Line to Parramatta last night student Cristine Candang, 31, said from behind her surgical mask: “I am afraid of the coronavirus.
“I am not normally that nervous but I am taking precautions now while I am in the city.”
Loreto Sanchez from St John’s Park and daughter Ivy, 17, were both wearing masks on the platform at Central. “People are dying from this,” she said. “My mother has just had cancer and has low immunity, I cannot take the risk.”
Urban designer Francisca Tjahja from Dulwich Hill had travelled to Summer Hill to get her mask. “I tried to get one in the chemists in St Leonards and the city but they had all sold out,” she said.
Bunnings Merchandise manager Phil Bishop confirmed there had been a huge run on mask supplies which were already depleted by sales on the back of poor air quality caused by the bushfires.
“We have seen an increase in demand for masks across our stores and have limited stock available,” he said.
“We apologise if customers are unable to get what they need immediately. We are working hard to get stock to relevant stores as quickly as possible to meet customer demand.”
But the panic buying was not necessary. Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said: “We're not recommending that the general Australian public wear masks or take protection.
“We have only five confirmed cases in Australia. There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission in Australia,” he said.
“The Australian public should go about their business, reassured that the risk to them is extremely low.”
That advice was cutting no ice on the Western Line. Retiree Peter Hodder and wife Jy were both wearing the P2 dust masks they bought for the bushfires.
“We started wearing them on Monday when we heard the virus had reached Sydney,” he said. “It is not just being cautious but being responsible because none of us know if we are carrying this thing.”
According to Health Minister Greg Hunt the only people who should be wearing masks are doctors, health workers and their patients who think they may have the virus.
“We'll be supporting the public and GPs through the allocation of up to one million masks for general practices,” he said.
In addition, he said the government has “a supply of 21.5 million masks, 12.5 million P2 masks and nine million surgical masks which are on the advice, the appropriate masks for this particular type of action.”
University of Sydney infectious diseases expert Professor Robert Booy said the people who needed to wear masks were doctors and health workers who often had infected people coughing airborne particles straight into their faces.
He said research showed the best mask was the N95 respirator mask, which filters tiny particles away from the nose and mouth.
“On the bus in Sydney your risk of infection is really quite low,” he said. “I don’t think there is any need to be wearing a mask.”
Business school trainer Belma Lisca, 36, was wearing a green surgical mask on the train last night and was none too happy about it. “I am worried that germs can get in the side,” she said. “But it was the only one I could get.”
Student Calvin Xiao, 21, from Croydon was a lot happier to have a stash of the N95 respirator masks.
“I have got a few of those at home that I bought for the smoke,” he said. “It is just a precaution, you have to be cautious.”
NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said people with coughs were the ones who should be wearing masks.
“Surgical masks are recommended for people with a coughing illness. The aim is to … prevent those coughs and the germs transmitted in that way from spreading,” she said.
“It is also not useful to wear the same surgical mask all day. It becomes contaminated. It actually isn't working.”
The one person on the Western Line who was wearing a mask in line with the advice was UTS student Miranda Quach, 21, who had a sniffle. “I am wearing a mask because I have a cold and don’t want to infect anybody … it’s not the coronavirus.”
But that just confirmed the fears of cleaner Aashe Thaape, 23, in the next carriage. “I am wearing the mask because of the virus – you don’t know who may have it.”