With masks for coronavirus in demand, Fort Worth-area company selling only to hospitals
A North Richland Hills company that boasts it is the largest provider of surgical masks in the United States is no longer selling the items to individuals concerned about contracting the coronavirus.
A telephone recording at Prestige Ameritech just outside Fort Worth explains to callers that the company is “overwhelmed with calls” for the masks from people concerned about getting sick with the virus, also known as COVID-19.
“If you are looking to place a one-time, high-volume order of masks or respirators we cannot help you,” the recording explains. “We are working hard to serve only hospital providers during the coronavirus crisis.”
If you’re well, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend wearing a mask to protect yourself from the coronavirus. But those showing symptoms should wear them, the CDC says. Symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
“These viruses are like colds in which you’ll have symptoms such as sore throat, stuffy nose, fever, headache and just a feeling of sickness,” Mark Chassay, senior vice provost, chief clinical and medical officer at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, said in a statement. “Sometimes it’ll progress to bronchitis or pneumonia. You might get other symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting.”
The situation provides an unusual, local twist on the coronavirus story in Dallas-Fort Worth, where schools, businesses and other entities are expanding their efforts to prevent the spread of the disease — or to cope with it, if and when cases are confirmed in North Texas.
The Fort Worth school district, for example, is urging parents to keep children home if they feel sick or display any flu-like symptoms.
“Keeping your sick child home will be a great benefit for the health and wellness of all students and staff,” a press release from the district states. “This kind of response is the same as for the regular seasonal flu.”
This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 1:42 PM.
