Seabuckthorn prices have increased by 1500-2500 tugrugs per kilo in Mongoolia

Due to the outbreak of H1N1, there is increased demand for food products that enhance body’s immune system and help fight against the flu.  As a result, pricing for garlic, sea-buckthorn, “aarts”, and horse meat have seen inflationary pricing over the last few weeks.  News coverage has been high as locals have been quite upset and have demanded price controls.

Within one week, pricing of seabuckthorne had increased from 4500 tugrugs per kg to 6000-7000 tugrugs as of November 7th at a popular food market (Bumbugur).  Garlic pricing had increased the most; what cost about 150 tugrugs is now basically double at 250-300 tugrugs.  Price of “aarts”, a traditional Mongolian dairy product, has increased by 500-700 tugrugs to 1800-2000.  And, pricing of horse meat has increased by 300 tugrugs to 2500 tugrugs per kilo, when most other meats have been declining in pricing.

As a result, local Mongolians have been very unhappy for the increased prices and have requested price controls.  Locals believe that the monopolies are manipulating pricing of key food items in the current “swine flu” season.  Pregnant women and elderly are people who at most risk and some cannot afford the increased pricing.

Storeowners, on the other hand, note that these food items have literally been flying off the shelves.  Many stores, including the State Department and small neighborhood grocery stores, have all been out of garlic come evening quite frequently.

The capitalist in me thinks that the increased pricing is probably due to this sudden increase in demand with limited available supply.  However, in Mongolia and in developing countries in general, it is always possible to manipulate and act rather “cleverly” when the anti-competitive and consumer protection laws are not as well created and enforced.

Mongol Bank rate for tugrug as of November 12, 2009 is 1,425 tugrugs to the US Dollar.

Sources:

• news.gogo.mn http://news.gogo.mn/r/61909
• TV news

There are quite a bit of confusion over this matter.  With all the H1N1, or the swine flu, all around, shouldn’t we all be wearing masks?  There is definitely some “swine panic” in Mongolia as prices of garlic, horse meat, “aarts”, and seabuckthorne juices have skyrocketed in response to the H1N1 flu.  Many people are wearing masks in Mongolia.  Some organizations are even going as far as requiring people to wear masks.  As a result, I set out to do a brief research into the matter: do I or you really need to be wearing masks?  Should you?

After doing some research on the internet, I think it is pretty clear that the experts don’t really think it is necessary for you to wear masks if you are  a healthy adult (as in a person not included in an “increased risk group”).  I got this information from the US Government organization Center for Disease Control website.

Here are the groups determined as increased risk group:

• Children younger than 5 years old
• Persons aged 65 years or older
• Children and adolescents (younger than 18 years) who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection
• Pregnant women
• Adults and children who have asthma, chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular, hepatic, hematological, neurologic, neuromuscular, or metabolic disorders such as diabetes;
• Adults and children who have immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by HIV)
• Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities.

And, here is CDC’s guidance on wearing masks:

It seems that wearing masks is NOT recommended in MOST situations.  So, if we cannot wear masks, what are we supposed to do?

Here are some simple daily prevention tips:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.*
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Keep away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick.

The takeaway

If you are a healthy person between the ages of 10 and 60, you are probably OK to NOT wear masks in vast majority of circumstances.  If you are sick or are sneezing, you are well advised to wear a mask or to sneeze into tissue, your sleeve, etc.  In any case, wash your hands with warm soap & water for 20 seconds and do not touch your mouth or your eyes.  It probably wouldn’t hurt to eat healthy and sleep well also.

Sources:

• Interim Recommendations for Facemask and Respirator Use to Reduce 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Transmission
• 2009 H1N1 Flu (“Swine Flu”) and You Questions and Answers

November 9, 2009

Mongolian Ministry of Health logo

According to Ministry of Health and as of 10am on Monday morning November 9, 2009, there are 929 laboratory-tested cases of H1N1 virus infections in Mongolia.  Of that 722 are in Ulaanbaatar city and 207 in rest of the country.

In total, there are 17 “aimags”, or provinces, that are registered as having H1N1 cases.  Bayan-Ulgii, Dund-Gobi, Gobi-Altai, and Sukhbaatar aimgags do not have any registered cases yet.

Here is the breakdown of the H1N1 cases by aimags: Arkhangai 8, Bayankhongor 3, Bulgan 7, Gobi-Sumber 16, Darkhan-Uul 23, Dorno-Gobi 24, Dornod 13, Zavkhan 3, Orkhon 15, Uvur-Khangai 26, Umnu-Gobi 2, Selenge 20, Tuv 10, Uvs 6, Hovd 19, Huvsgul 1, Hentii 11

In total, 29.8 percent, or 1166, out of the 3910 people who were serviced by ambulance were diagnosed with flu or flu-like disease.

Source: Ministry of Health (www.moh.mn)