A government advisory issued on July 20 has warned of “inappropriate use” of N95 masks “with valved respirator” by the general public. This notice has lead to a sudden surge in demand for valveless N95 masks, leading to shortage across the twin townships.

The advisory by the ministry of health and family welfare explains that while valved masks block coronavirus germs from being inhaled, they do not stop them from being exhaled and potentially infecting others.

Unaware of this fact, customers have preferred valved masks since the start of the pandemic, says Pankaj Ta of EE Block’s medicine shop K.R. Lynch & Company. “People would claim they have difficulty breathing through masks without any valves. But then this week suddenly demand has surged for masks without valves,” he says.

As the news spreads, customers are heading out for new masks but there is a problem. Owing to an absence of demand thus far, most shops have very few masks without valves available.

“Surgical masks that costs about Rs 10 a piece are the most popular, selling 50 to 60 pieces a day. So long. the more expensive models sold eight to 10 a day but they were all valved. In fact, anyone buying N95s ensured they had valves before buying them,” says Arun Saha Roy of BE Block’s Sree Nandan Medical Stores. Once his valved masks sell out, he is planning not to replenish them and get unvalved masks instead.

The valved and unvalved masks cost about the same — within Rs 250 — at most shops.
Raj Chemists & Druggists in HA Block has started getting so many enquiries for unvalved masks that they have put away their boxes of valved masks for now. “I don’t know if the supplier will take them back,” says Dipjit Das from behind the counter. “As for unvalved masks, they hardly sold so I stopped stocking them. Now the supplier says he has none to send over.”

A Block’s Unimax Medical E Supplier is a new company selling specifically Covid-related items. They have been selling six ply K95 and three ply RN95 masks but all are valved. “We supply to shops, corporate houses as well as in retail but so long only valved ones were in demand. After this government order we shall have to ask wholesalers for the unvalved masks,” says Sayak Ghosh. Their store is offering huge discounts what with K95s selling at Rs 120 and RN95s at Rs 110.

The cynics

But there are also customers and shopkeepers who couldn’t care less. “In a country where people are not getting salaries, the government wants them to buy new N95 masks every month?” asks Abhijit Mondal of Sarkar Medical stores in New Town’s Eden Shop.

“When an able- bodied person like me cannot visit the market in flimsy surgical masks without suffocating how will pulmonary patients wear unvalved masks and climb stairs?”

Nilesh Raj, a resident of Greenwood Park who had come to the store wearing a valved N95, agreed. “I bought this mask after experts assured us it was the safest. What is the guarantee they won’t change their minds after yet another study next week?” he challenges. “I have tried unvalved masks but they do not fit securely. I’m quite happy with what I’m wearing now.”

Samaresh Kumar Gain of Lifezest medicine shop, next to New Town’s Snehodiya, says a scant few can afford a Rs 250 unvalved mask afresh after having recently bought a valved one. “Most of them will wait before it spoils over a few months before buying a non-valved one and anyone challenging such people should provide them free masks instead.”

In mid-March, Rs 15,000 worth of masks got stolen from an employee of the shop when he had gone to buy them from the wholesaler. “And now when we are fully stocked with good quality masks, that are even made in India, we shouldn’t sell them as they are valved!” Gain wonders.

Then there are those like Subrata Das, selling Covid-related items under an umbrella on the footpath outside Eden Shop. “I’ve asked suppliers for unvalved masks but they are out of stock,” he says. “Frankly, I don’t see why people are fussing over these valves. Neither valved nor unvalved masks will protect them if they continue wearing them under their noses.”

Why the valved mask is a risk

• The valved N95 mask filters the inhaled air but the exhaled air is released unfiltered. So an asymptomatic Covid-19 carrier wearing this mask could spread infection by breathing out. A mask without a valve will not allow the virus to spread.
• "...the use of valved respirator N-95 masks is detrimental to the measures adopted for preventing the spread of Coronavirus as it does not prevent the virus from escaping out of the mask"

- Ministry of health and family welfare