Face masks sales soar in the face of SARS.

• Position: Update

Conducting business in Asia invariably involves a lot of travel, something that has become more than a little hazardous in recent times due to the outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in several countries within the region. However, as with any crisis, there are those who are benefiting. A Chinese company that exports surgical masks says orders from Hong Kong doubled in March as the city remained gripped by the deadly respiratory disease. David Han, a sales representative for Shenyang Constructional and Agricultural Machinery Corp in the northwestern capital of Liaoning province, says the increase in orders has been dramatic, enabling the company to raise prices by a tenth. The disease, which causes a pneumonia-like illness and is spread by coughing and sneezing, has killed an increasing number of people and infected hundreds worldwide, with the biggest outbreaks in Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam. In Hong Kong, scores of schools have closed, and some people are avoiding crowded places. Face masks, usually seldom seen on the streets, have become prevalent. Drugstore chain AS Watson and Co, owned by billionaire Li Ka-shing, reported a run on its stocks of face masks. It sold out more than a thousand masks in 15 minutes at one store in the Pacific Place shopping mall downtown on 24 March, two days after the first school closures were announced. Masks have been selling for as little as HK$3 ($0.64), with plastic versions going for about HK$12. The Hong Kong Consumer Council said some unscrupulous vendors are taking advantage of...