Although Indonesia has yet to confirm any cases of infection, people have rushed to buy N95 masks, driving prices up to Rp 1.3 million (US$92.86) for a box containing 20 masks. In early January, such a box would have been sold at around Rp 200,000.

N95-type masks tightly cover the nose and mouth and can filter 95 percent of the dust particles from the air to keep them out of the wearer’s respiratory system.

According to data from state-owned diversified miner PT Aneka Tambang, gold was sold for Rp 772,000 per gram on Saturday, indicating that a box of the masks equaled about 1.6 grams of gold.

“This is the first time I experience a box of masks priced almost at 2 grams of gold throughout my five-year experience selling masks,” Tamsi, a 22-year-old seller at Pramuka Market, Central Jakarta, said on Wednesday.

Tamsi said the price had been increasing since mid-January when demand for N95 masks had boomed as the media kept reporting about the outbreak. Many sellers at Pramuka Market were unable to meet customers’ demand as they ran out of masks.

He recalled that, in the third week of January, the price of the N95 masks slowly increased, rising from Rp 200,000 per box to Rp 400,000. Suddenly, at the end of January, the price soared to Rp 1 million per box.

“One of my mask suppliers even tried to sell me the masks for Rp 1.8 million per box several days ago. I took his offer, since everyone had been looking for them, and my guess proved right. I succeeded in selling 10 boxes,” he said.

Buyung, 33, another seller at Pramuka, also experienced excessive demand from customers wanting to buy N95 masks despite the price tag of Rp 1.4 million per box.

“I don’t want any kind of virus to infiltrate the country, but the news about the coronavirus outbreak has given us more profit,” he said.

The novel coronavirus was first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December and has since spread to at least 25 countries. Designated 2019-nCoV, the virus can cause symptoms such as fever, coughing and breathing difficulties.

As of Saturday, the virus has killed 722 people in China and infected nearly 35,000 worldwide. With 86 more deaths recorded in mainland China — the highest one-day jump so far — the death toll was closing in on the 774 killed worldwide during the eight-month Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2002.

Faisal Yunus, a pulmonology and respiratory health expert at the University of Indonesia, said that N95 mask was commonly used by doctors dealing with patients who endured contagious diseases, especially tuberculosis, but not suitable for daily activities — since it made it harder for people to breathe.

Doctors, he said, did not even use it if they do not treat patients.

“Using the N95 mask to prevent a virus that has not even [been proven to exist] in the country is an excessive measure. It shows that people are misinformed and don’t know how to maintain their health,” Faisal said.

In some circumstances, he said, regular people were advised to use the masks only if they encounter others who have been infected with dangerous viruses.

“Regular [surgical] masks are already enough [as a precaution]. Make sure that the mask is waterproof, so that people will not be exposed to saliva from others,” Faisal told The Jakarta Post.

Instead of using N95 masks, he suggested people consume healthy food to strengthen their immune system, since viruses were likely to attack people with weaker immune systems.

Moses William, a 28-year-old auditor, seemed to put his faith in masks to save him from viruses.

He had bought two boxes of N95 masks from an online marketplace almost two weeks ago when the price was around Rp 500,000 per box. He said it helped him to feel safe, since he often worked with Chinese clients.

As the price had soared to Rp 2 million per box on online marketplaces, he is considering switching to regular masks for daily use.

“The price [of N95 masks] is ridiculous, but since I only have one box of masks left in my apartment, I probably will use a surgical mask and keep on consuming vitamin C tablets,” Moses told the Post at the Senayan MRT station.

The Jakarta Health Agency also advised residents to wear regular masks instead of the N95 masks for daily use.

Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) head Tulus Abadi has called on the police and the Business Competition Supervisory Board (KPPU) to investigate whether mask distributors had intentionally held back supplies of masks to create the price hike. (glh)

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