CAIRO: Sales of medical face masks have increased dramatically in Zamalek as Egypt reported its 15th case of the H1N1 virus Friday, according to pharmacy employees. Seven cases were reported earlier this week in the American University in Cairo's dormitory in Zamalek, which is under a week-long quarantine that ends Sunday, and residents are taking extra precautions in the upscale Cairo neighborhood. According to pharmacy employees in Zamalek, hundreds of people are buying masks. Many customers also purchased anti-bacterial soaps and sanitizers, like Dettol, alongside their masks. The number of masks sold at pharmacies surveyed by Daily News Egypt ranged from 20 to 200 per day. Pharmacies located closer to the American University dormitories reported higher sales, along with those pharmacies located on busier and more commonly frequented streets. The masks generally cost between 75 piasters and LE 1.50 and are considered simple means of preventing transmission of the virus. Although pharmacists are reporting selling many more masks than usual, only one pharmacist was himself wearing a mask. Pharmacist Maha Hussein El-Gammal remarked that the pharmacy was selling around 100 masks each day. She has had to restock the supply of the masks to meet demand. It seems as though customers are coming in "every minute to purchase masks, she said. In Dokki, pharmacies reported that those purchasing masks were primarily older people. Pharmacists believed that the presumed heightened vulnerability of the elderly was the reason. However, pharmacies in Zamalek and Downtown reported that the buyers were of all ages, "from five to 80, said Mahy Sadik, a pharmacy employee. Victoria Pharmacy on Kasr Al-Aini reported a significant increase in sales, while Dr El-Hakim remarked that his pharmacy located near the United States Embassy had seen only a slight change in the purchase of face masks. In Zamalek, the streets and shops surrounding the American University dormitories are mostly deserted, but pharmacist Samer Mina said that the increase in sales has been good for business. Though the neighborhood of Zamalek is home to many expatriates, many residents appeared wary of the American reporters researching mask sales. Passing taxi drivers covered their mouths and noses with tissues and some residents donned their medical face masks. There was a lack of the more traditional comments from Zamalek residents, such as "Welcome to Egypt! Instead, the only comment heard by the reporters was "H1N1! On Thursday, the World Health Organization declared swine flu a global pandemic, raising the alert level to six.
