Face shield craze: The rise and fall of the ‘high in demand’ commodity

Between May to July 2020, plastic face shield was a ‘hot’ commodity in Ghana. With jobs under threat, several individuals decided to venture into the sale of face shields which was in high demand as a result of the surge in Coronavirus cases in the country.

The mad craze for these shields by persons who might have been frustrated by the continuous wearing of nose masks caused a hike in prices. A plastic face shield that came with glasses, as a holder, was initially sold at GH¢50.00. The least amount stood at GH¢25.00.

The face shield soon became an accessory worn by many to parties, weddings, work and so on. Some women who couldn’t afford to ruin their make-up with a nasal mask went for the face shield.

It is, however, quite mysterious how some buyers were all over social media requesting to purchase over 20,000 pieces of face shields. Who were those using it?

Some described it as a scheme by sellers who sought to create the impression of its high demand on the market; whatever it might be, it did work on some Ghanaians.

People who bought these ‘fast-selling’ PPE in bulk to resell, have regretted their actions. It has now been termed as bad business. This means producers of nose masks have given face shield vendors a run for their money.

Although plastic face shields are treated as Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), health experts say that they do not inadequately protect and should only be worn in combination with a face mask.

In amending the safety protocols, the Ghana Health Service warned against the use of face shields without a nose mask. This statement to an extent made face shields unpopular. Some organizations who employed the "No nose mask, No entry" policy stated that persons who only had face shields on as a protective gear were going to be denied entry.

People are on the alert and will go the extra mile to ensure their safety during this COVID times. In case one is interested in owning a face shield, it is now selling as low as GH¢3.00.

Unfortunately, this is bad business for those who have it in bulk purchase. Notwithstanding, many have adopted the 'reduced to clear' strategy.

Meanwhile, protection equipment like gloves, nose mask, sanitizers has been highly patronised this COVID-19 era. Remember when a small bottle of sanitizer was sold at an exorbitant price of GH¢40.00 instead of the original GH¢6.00?

But now prices have been beaten down for all to afford. No matter your pocket, you are sure to secure one of these PPEs in this era for maximum protection.

Below are some social media reations on the decline in prices of face shields in Ghana

Now the face shield be 3 cedis. He say free delivery plus free thermometer ????????????????
— Slat ???? (@augss__) July 24, 2020

The year is 2075 and someone just inherited 50,000 pieces of face shield as stated in his/her father's will.
— edwin (@_staque_) July 24, 2020

Small small the face shield will come to 2gh , let’s wait patiently ????????#GoodMorningTwitterWorld
— Rosanda??????????????? (@MaamEfua_) July 22, 2020