Facemask shortage and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak: Reflection on public health measures

Huailiang Wu; Jian Huang; Casper JP Zhang; Zonglin He; Wai-kit Ming

Therefore, governments across the world should revisit their emergency plan for controlling infectious disease outbreaks in the local context. Timely public health measures should be taken to control the outbreak within the city or the province/state where the city is located. Meanwhile, the supply of and demand for facemasks and other medical resources should be considered when planning for public health measures, so as to maintain the availability and affordability of medical resources. Besides, timely and effective communication with the public is essential to mitigate panic buying and anxiety in the population 27,28 . Furthermore, during a medical resource crisis, health disparity could be widened between specific population groups. Individuals of lower socioeconomic status are more likely to find themselves in a dilemma between the need to work in high-risk locations and the lack of protective equipment. In addition, market forces can drive the price up, preventing them from purchasing an adequate amount of protective equipment.