Products related to covid-19 recorded growth at the beginning of the year

Four of the eight product groups that make up the covid-19 price index recorded growth during the month of January, according to a report by the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC).

The most significant growth was recorded in the section of products for household care and disinfection of 4.5%, which is the result of an increase in the price of liquid disinfectant of 18.6%.

In December, the price index of liquid disinfectants was 93.3 percent, and a month later it was 110.6 percent. As for the year-on-year variation up to January, it was 3.0%.

In the same line, the spray disinfectant had an index of 89.5% in the last month of 2022, and for January it reached 99.4%.

Personal care products also increased in price by 2.4%, after the price of antibacterial liquid soap recorded a 5% increase in January compared to December (from 105.9% to 111.2%).

It behaved similarly with these articles in the region.

Experts point out that the situation regarding home cleaning is partly related to the departure of what was an obsession with disinfecting every corner during the pandemic. However, people are disinfecting less now.

On the other hand, not even a group of foods avoided these variations (1.5%). Onions recorded an increase of 16%. In December, its rate was 133.1 percent, and in January 154.4 percent. The year-on-year percentage variation was 55.8%.

A shortage of onions during January kept prices high. The producers said that the one who was approved to enter Panama did not enter at the prescribed time.

Augusto Jiménez, producer of the Association of Producers of the Tierras Altas Community, reminded then that Panama is not self-sufficient in this area.

José Saavedra, from the Productores Herreranos group, specifying that during the second half of the year, the national onion decreases, especially in recent months. This is partly because it is not possible to sow during the rainy season.

Likewise, hospital services increased by 0.1%, due to a 1.3% increase in the price of general medicine consultations.

At the other extreme is the three-layer mask, the use of which continues to decline. In January 2022, its index was around 42.3%, and in the first month of this year it was 33.4%.

INEC points out that in general the covid-19 price index had a positive variation of 0.1% compared to December.

This index takes into account items and services that have shown a trend of higher consumption during the covid-19 pandemic.