Sanitisers, gloves, masks in demand again in Bengaluru

Sanitisers and masks are on demand once again following a government advisory to mask up in closed spaces and practice safety measures.

Pharmacists said the demand for masks began picking up in the last two to three days. “Demand has been falling for a few months. We were not selling many of them. But it surged drastically. At least 20 people asked for masks today,” said Krishna Murthy, who owns Foster Pharma on St Marks Road.

Prices remained stable since shops had excess stocks piling up for months. Manjunath, who runs a medical shop near Hoskerehalli, said disposable masks are being sold in large quantities. “Only a few buy N95 masks in small numbers. Many prefer to buy packs of disposable masks,” he said.

Santosh, owner of Santosh Pharma in North Bengaluru’s Horamavu-Agara, revealed even N95 masks are in demand for the past five days. “People began masking up following the news about the virus spreading in China. We do not stock N95 since we cannot sell it for a higher price and it is a loss for us,” Santhosh said.

Disposable masks are preferred since each piece costs Rs 10 or Rs 15 and people buy them in bulk. Pharmacists also said sanitisers and hand gloves are also being sold in greater numbers.