Coronavirus Causing Shortages Of Hand Sanitizer, Disinfectant Wipes & Facemasks
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – With the coronavirus spreading in the United States, people are looking for ways to protect themselves. But your local store may not have what you want.
Shoppers searching for hand sanitizer at one New York pharmacy are only finding disappointment.
"I came in here looking for Purell," one shopper said. "You can't find Purell anywhere, nowhere."
There are empty shelves at stores nationwide and hand sanitizers are very difficult to find online.
Sales were already high because of flu season and now coronavirus fears are creating shortages.
Several major sellers CBS News checked were out of stock.
Manufacturers are ramping up production. Pharmacy owner Leon Taraseno said he's still getting regular shipments, but not enough supply to meet the demand.
"I came in this morning and we had a shelf full and they were gone in a matter of an hour," he said.
Something else he can't keep on shelves: N95 Facemasks.
Federal health officials are telling consumers not to buy them, worried there won't be enough for emergency workers if the spread becomes severe. But that isn't stopping people.
"We probably went through 2,000 masks or more," Taraseno said.
Stores everywhere are out of masks. Disinfectant wipes are also a hot commodity.
Tziporah Newman was able to find some of those, but she's still searching for hand sanitizer because she has a young child at home.
"You worry because she's very vulnerable," she said.
That worry has people everywhere looking for products to protect their families, which means tight supplies are likely to continue.
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