In January 2021, the Czech government was just discussing the possible introduction of wearing respirators in public places. The government, following the example of Austria, lowered the prices for respirators, thereby making it possible to purchase protective equipment cheaper. But since February 25, when respirators have to be worn in all public places, their prices have risen. Now respirators are 2-3 times more expensive and can cost each family more than 2 thousand a month.
From Thursday, February 25, there is another restriction in which you must wear a respirator type FFP2 or 2 medical masks in public places. For a family of 4 people, such an innovation can cost 2,200 crowns and more per month. The prices for protective equipment are different everywhere. In some online stores you can find a set of 10 respirators for 279 crowns, while in other online stores you can buy the same number of respirators for only 149 crowns. On average, the price for one respirator varies from 15 CZK to 28 CZK. The lower the price, the less likely respirators will be in stock.
At a price of 28 CZK apiece, for a family of 4, 20 working days of wearing a respirator will cost 2240 CZK. At a price of 17 CZK – 1360 CZK. And at the lowest price – 15 CZK for a respirator, a month will cost 1200 CZK.
Starting on Monday, February 22nd, pharmacies throughout the city took turns putting up signs reading “No respirators”. Respirators can now be found in online stores or in some pharmacies that have not yet had time to sell everything.
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Many Czechs saved on protective equipment by using cloth masks. Such masks could be sewn by yourself or bought in a special store. Cloth masks could be worn for a long time and were easily disinfected. But with the new restriction, many Czechs are thinking about how expensive respirators will cost them and whether there is an opportunity to save money?
As it turns out, some respirators can be sterilized without losing their functionality. The sterilization procedure is very simple. It is enough to pour 50 ml of water into a bowl, cover it with a plastic net and put a used respirator on top. In this case, the respirator must be placed with the outer side down. Then a bowl with a respirator and water should be placed in the microwave. Time depends on the power of the microwave:
Not all respirators can be sterilized in this way. If the respirator itself has an iron clip on the nose, then when heated, it can melt and ruin not only the respirator, but also the microwave. Remember that even with sterilization, you can wear a respirator no more than 5 times.
