Coronavirus: US short of surgical masks

Surgical masks have become the subject of a shortage in the US, but the health ministry considers the panic premature and urges citizens not to worry, Report says citing Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.

Local media noted that, with the spread of the new coronavirus in China and beyond, the demand for surgical masks has increased in the US, and a shortage of this type of medical product has been observed both in Washington, DC and in other cities.

According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), five cases of the new type of coronavirus in four states have been confirmed in the United States: California, Illinois, Washington, and Texas. To prevent the spread of coronavirus to the USA, 20 American airports have strengthened measures.

"At the moment, Americans have nothing to worry about," he said at a briefing, adding that, however, the number of cases could increase.