Photo taken on February 21 shows workers are assembling the masks produced on an automatic production line at a factory of Guangzhou Xingshi Equipments Co., Ltd in South China's Guangdong Province. Photo: Xinhua

According to the WHO, the worldwide demand for protective masks due to the coronavirus is 100 times higher than normal, and it will take four to six months to refill the supply chain. 

It hasn't been easy trying to find masks in China and there have been cases of price gouging by some retailers, while others attempt to pawn off fake masks at genuine. The government has rightfully come down hard on these unscrupulous dealers. 

Yet, I can't shake off this feeling of dread knowing that mask supplies and disinfectants are increasingly hard to come by. My grandparents in Nanjing, my family in Shanghai and Beijing and all my friends in China are in dire need of these now must-have things. 

Instead of just complaining about the situation and to raise my own awareness, I've done some research on the "mask topic" and have had some up-close personal experience. 

I asked about purchasing masks in a number of Chinese cities, and the most common replies were: long wait and sold out. My friend in the island of Taiwan even offered to help but told me she could only get her hands on two masks after a week of searching. 

In the absence of the real thing, I've seen silly online photos of people using fruit peels to cover their nose and mouth, while others have cut the tops of large jugs of water, then turn the bottom upside down and put it over their head. Ridiculously amusing maybe, but this is no laughing matter. Masks are scarce for all - regardless of social-economic status, but I worry most for the poor and those who have to put themselves in harm's way of the virus. 

The mask-shortage problem isn't isolated to China. To my surprise I discovered shortages of masks and disinfectants during business trips around Europe, the Middle East and Oceania. 

I was in Davos when news of the outbreak first made headlines, I tried to buy some masks at three local pharmacies but they were all sold out. In Zurich, I was lucky enough to purchase a box of 50 surgical masks and one bottle of 500ml hand disinfectant. A pharmacy at Munich Airport was sold out. The first pharmacy I went to in Malta was sold out, but another sold me its last 40 masks for around 10 euros and a bottle of hand disinfectant for around 4 euros. Masks and hand disinfectants were sold out at a Dubai Airport pharmacy, while I managed to buy 50 masks and 100 alcohol wipes in Riyadh. Australia is also short of supplies with only a few pharmacies selling masks at around $8 (AUD) each.

My research has also found that making a common protective mask is more complicated than it looks. It requires three layers of non-woven fabric, which is mainly made in the provinces of Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang and Hubei. The Hubei city of Xiantao produces 60 percent of the fabric needed to produce masks in China. But Xiantao is only a 2.5-hour drive from the coronavirus epicenter in Wuhan, causing production in Xiantao to take a hit. 

Each protective mask has three layers that are each made of this special fabric. The inner layer is ordinary non-woven fabric. The outer layer is waterproof and the middle layer is a filter made from a polypropylene substance. Once all three layers are stitched together, the mask is sterilized with ethylene oxide and let to stand for seven days before being packed and shipped to merchants and customers. 

When it comes stitching the three layers together to make a mask, an automated machine called the HD-0430 and costing 185,000 yuan ($26,296), can make 100 masks a minute or 144,000 masks a day. In 2018, 4.54 billion masks were produced in China, showing it is capable of producing some 12 million masks per day. The target now is to double this number to ensure citizens have access to such supplies.  

China and the rest of the world are facing a shortage of masks, even as the demand grows. Reports have shown that the incubation period of the coronavirus can last as long as 24 days and infected people who are asymptomatic can spread the virus, especially if they don't wear a mask. New cases are popping up in far away places, including Italy, Iran and Israel. This means those countries will surely also experience a shortage of masks and hand disinfectant.

Like everyone, I am hoping this health crisis will soon be over, but I'm worried people will soon forget how devastating this outbreak has been. Already, there are reports of a large number of people traveling in China. As we loosen our focus on defeating COVID-19 and return to our previous ways, perhaps another virus will mutate and strike with renewed lethal force. The question is: Will we be prepared next time?

The author is a freelance writer. She was born in China, raised in Australia, educated in China, Australia and France. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn