SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Camillus pharmacist Mike Machen has seen an uptick in customers seeking face masks since the deadly coronavirus outbreak in China began last month.

His drugstore, The Medicine Shoppe, is sold out.

Machen said he can’t get any more because suppliers are temporarily out of stock.

Drugstores nationwide are seeing a run on masks, even though public health officials say the risk of Americans catching the coronavirus is low.

Most pharmacists nationwide are selling masks faster than they can restock them, according to a survey by the National Community Pharmacists Association.

News coverage of the outbreak has consumers worried, according to Brian Caswell, president of the association. “Patients are on edge and they are preparing,” he said.

The World Health Organization said unprecedented global demand for face masks has created potentially dangerous shortages for people who need them the most.

China is one of the world’s biggest producers of face masks. But China has stopped exporting them because it is struggling to provide enough for its own residents. Officials in China said last week they urgently need more masks and asked other countries to supply them.

The coronavirus has killed more than 1,000 people and infected more than 40,000, most of them in China. There have been 12 confirmed cases in the U.S., none of them in New York.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said masks should be used only by people who have been exposed to the virus or are showing symptoms. It does not recommend face mask use by people who are well.

Officials of Wegmans, Walgreens and Kinney Drugs all say they’ve seen demand increase for face masks.

Especially hard to get are N95 masks, respirators that filter out 95% of airborne particles, said Judith Repass Cowden of Kinney Drugs.

Face masks have been flying off the shelves at Home Depot so fast, the retailer has limited purchase quantities to 10 per person. “Our merchandising and supply teams are working hard to replenish these items as quickly as possible,” said Margaret Smith, a Home Depot spokeswoman.

The director of the World Health Organization said last week people should not stockpile face masks so that there are enough available for individuals infected with the virus and health workers.

James T. Mulder covers health news. Have a news tip? Contact him at (315) 470-2245 or jmulder@syracuse.com

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