Will Covid-19 Treatments and Tests Drive Up Prices for Platinum and Platinum-Rhodium Alloys?
Platinum, platinum family metals and even ultra-precious rhodium are now used in a growing number of medical devices. Plus, gold and silver are finding their way into medicines that are used to treat a growing number of diseases – though not yet Covid-19, apparently. (Do note, however, that some claims have been made that colloidal silver medicines can be useful against Covid-19; we are not qualified to judge those claims, but literature we have found online indicates to be that such medicines are probably not effective.)
Medical Uses of Precious Metals
With tens of thousands of people around the world undergoing medical tests and treatments just now (both for Covid-19 and a variety of other conditions), it would be logical to ask whether the Covid-19 pandemic has driven up trading prices for platinum, rhodium, cadmium, palladium as well as gold and silver.
After all, a number of precious metals are currently used in medical applications like these:
Platinum and cadmium are used in wires, probes and electrodes that are used in cardiac tests
Platinum is used to make the cases that cover implantable pacemakers and defibrillators
Platinum and platinum family metals are used to make crucibles, tongs and other devices that are used in laboratories where chemical testing is done
Gold is used in printed circuit boards that are used in a number of medical testing and other devices, including computers
Platinum therapy is being used in certain forms of cancer treatments that inhibit the growth of cancerous cells
Silver and gold are used in some tests that can determine whether a patient’s blood contains antibodies to Covid-19, which indicate that patient has been exposed to the disease
Will Precious Metal Prices Rise in the Months and Years Ahead?
One thing for certain about investing in precious metals is that when the price of a precious metal increases, that price increase affects that metal uniformly. In other words – if the price of platinum increases because platinum is suddenly more in demand for medical applications, that price rise will uniformly increase the price of all forms of that metal, such as bullion, jewelry, and more.
And even though the prices of individual precious metals may fluctuate up and down, history has shown that over time, precious metals appreciate and are a good investment. That is one reason why we have been in the precious metals recycling business for many years.
We believe that a number of factors will cause precious metals to be an excellent investment choice in the coming years. One of those factors is the increasing demand for precious metals in a growing number of medical applications. But that is not the only factor that is causing trading prices to rise.
If you have precious metal scrap or other materials you would like to recycle that contain precious metals, now is the time to call us at 800-426-2344. It’s time to speak with our investment advisors.
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