The Inter-Ministerial Commission on Drug Prices (CIPM), a collegiate body of the Ministry of Health of which several ministries and the Regional Governments are part, has today set the maximum amount for sales to the public of surgical masks so that citizens can access this health protection medical device at Non-abusive economic prices.

As established in Order SND / 354/2020, published by the BOE (Government Bulletin) last Sunday, which establishes exceptional measures to guarantee access by the population to products recommended for use as hygienic measures for the prevention of contagion by COVID-19, the CIPM has agreed that the maximum price for surgical masks is 0.96 euros. This price, including IVA (VAT) and the equivalent surcharge tax, will be reviewed periodically as market price surveillance requires.

The CIPM has agreed to postpone the establishment of maximum RRP for single-use and reusable hygienic masks to the next Commission meeting, in order to obtain more information on manufacturing costs in the national textile sector.

This commission, chaired by the Secretary General of Health, Faustino Blanco, and under the vice-presidency of the General Director of the Basic Portfolio of Services of the S.N.S. and Pharmacy, Patricia Lacruz, met in teleconference today in extraordinary session within 48 hours, as indicated by the ministerial order. The amount of each product will be published in the BOE.

 

NEW FACTS AND FIGURES

In a study funded by the US National Institutes of Health it was found that coronaviruses can stay viable for up to 72 hours after being placed on stainless steel and plastic, up to 24 hours after being put on cardboard, 4 hours for copper and in aerosol form (when someone coughs, sneezes etc), it remained viable "throughout the duration of the experiment" of three hours, a separate study published last month in The Journal of Hospital Infection found that human coronaviruses, have been found to persist on inanimate surfaces -- including metal, glass or plastic surfaces -- for as long as nine days if that surface had not been disinfected, there was also a report on Sky news that when one of the infected cruise ships was released from quarantine traces of the virus were found 17 days after the date the ship had been evacuated.

The Senior lecturer on the subject from Reading University said on Sky news that the virus changed as it passes through infected people currently he said there were 8 strains identified.

The virus is destroyed on contact with alcohol (over 70% proof) other useful substances are chlorine (bleach), hydrogen peroxide, iodine-based antiseptics and because coronavirus molecules are encased in a layer of fat, detergents (soap) are effective because they dissolve the fat and destroy the viability.