Sharp to manufacture masks against NCOV instead of TVs

Sharp decided to stop TV production in one of its factories in Japan in order to produce face masks as protection from corona-virus.

The demand for face masks in Japan rises during the NCOV outbreak

Lack of face masks in Japan amidst the virus outbreak

It was reported that face masks were commonly used in Japan especially during winter since they help in preventing sickness from spreading. However, the difficulty in buying face masks and other items like toilet paper started when the COVID-19 became epidemic.

Additionally, most retailers in the said country are controlling the purchase to a single pack at a time to prevent others from hoarding. Some countries outside Japan have dealers who are selling overpriced masks online since these commodities are rarely available in physical stores.

According to the World Health Organization, healthy people should only wear masks if taking care of someone who is suspected to have been infected with the coronavirus. For those with symptoms, they can do frequent and meticulous handwashing to help in slowing the virus spread.

There was a tweet from US surgeon general Jerome Adams to persuade the public from not buying face masks. He added,

They are NOT effective in preventing the general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk.

In response to the lack of masks supply during the corona-virus outbreak, Sharp is having the initiative to produce face masks in its plant in Kameyama, Mie prefecture. It is said to be typically used for mass production of large LCD panels and as an assembly line for televisions.

Moreover, Sharp aims to manufacture 150,000 masks a day up to the end of March, then it will raise its target to 500,000 per day.  The facility in Kameyama is claimed to be fitting for mass production considering its high standards in cleanliness, which tends to be important. There are no updates yet regarding the price or distribution plans of the masks 

Sharp's parent company, Foxconn already declared that it would produce its own masks in China. The electronics company expects to make around two million masks a day.

What are your thoughts about this decision of Sharp?

Sources: The Verge, TweakTown