Whether it’s fear of the deadly Ebola virus or spirit of the Halloween season, hazardous-material suits are being snatched up at Amazon.com at a rapid pace.
Vocativ reports that businesses all over the country are capitalizing on pandemic fears by offering up Ebola survival gear to concerned Americans. Alpha Pro Tech, a maker of protective face masks, for example, saw its stock shoot up by 245 percent this year, Vocativ said.
There are more than 1,900 results for “hazmat suit” on Amazon, while results for “hazmat suits for Ebola” yielded 670. Price tags range from less than $15 to more than $2,000, and many of the more expensive suits were completely sold out.
In many cases, it’s unclear whether the suits are meant for a topical Halloween costume or to actually combat Ebola, Vocative reported.
On eBay, one model suit was described as “Hazmat Suit Costume: Breaking Bad or Ebola,” in reference to the AMC television series about cooking crystal meth, Vocative reported.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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