News Worldwide impact of the novel coronavirus (covid-19)

[lostforgottensoul]

Please prepare for Coronavirus by stockpiling food

Please tell me why you need to stock pile food (and toliet paper) for a god damn virus!

This is causing food shortages! The grocery stores cannot keep up with the damn of every citizen buying even a weeks worth of food. This is causing a huge problem with having no food on the shelves and people that need food cannot get it.

I looked online. Orlando does not have any special elderly and disabled hours for grocery stores.

Those that are sick or have been in contact with someone that has been sick and need to quarniteine for a few weeks are the ONLY ONES that need to stock food for a few weeks. Everyone else, please stop doing this!

 

[siniang]

Yeah, that one article you mentioned they fixed the same day

I read that article 8 hours(!) after it was posted and by that time it had already been pointed out multiple times in the comments.

Not everyone goes back and rereads articles. They believe what they read the first time (like my husband’s coworkers) - because why wouldn’t they if journalists were actually doing their job?

And this wasn’t the first time this has happened with NPR, lately.

It’s unacceptable. Simple as that.

 

[Never_falter2]

Please tell me why you need to stock pile food (and toliet paper) for a god damn virus!

This is causing food shortages! The grocery stores cannot keep up with the damn of every citizen buying even a weeks worth of food. This is causing a huge problem with having no food on the shelves and people that need food cannot get it.

I looked online. Orlando does not have any special elderly and disabled hours for grocery stores.

Those that are sick or have been in contact with someone that has been sick and need to quarniteine for a few weeks are the ONLY ONES that need to stock food for a few weeks. Everyone else, please stop doing this!

I was talking to people living in places where there is not already panic buying. We stockpiled in advance. Long before the panic buying started. Actually we started prepping a long time ago before we even heard of corona and thought of things like black outs. However why is it good:

1. You do not need to buy food when there is panic buying and reduce demand. It is a pro social thing to do. 2. If we hadn’t stockpiled food before panic buying started we need to fight with panic buyers now in order to feed our children.
3. You do not have to go to the stores over and over again because all the shelves are empty when there is already community spread.
3. You have food when you are asked to self quarantine. You can not go to the supermarket if you self quarantine and your friends might be in quarantine too.
4. If lots and lots of people are infected by the virus you do not have to leave the house.

@Sideways It is not like Germany is a poor and desperate country typically suffering from shortage of food. Only a few weeks ago most people would have said that could never happen to them. Yet it happened. It still feels unreal but it is real.

 

[siniang]

Please prepare for Coronavirus by stockpiling food

Nearly everything in the stores is sold out now over here. It was bad on Saturday and even worse on Monday.

Everything at the stores is sold out BECAUSE people are stockpiling.

PLEASE DON’T!

There is no, absolutely no indication that there will be a shortage of or limitation of transfer of goods.

You’re hurting the elderly and the disabled. Those are people who can’t buy large amounts at a time. Now they can’t buy anything at all.

There was this cartoon going around of an elderly man in a grocery store with empty shelves, and behind him a younger couple with their cart full to the brim. I couldn’t find the original or I would’ve posted it.

We had a rumor last week that the docks were going to close. We’re islands, we’re LITERALLY dependent on goods coming in from the outside. People went absolutely dipshit crazy. It was a rumor without substance and the governor and mayor had to reassure repeatedly that the docks wouldn’t be closing (because why would they? It doesn’t even make sense) and that plenty of barges are currently on their way over here.

I had a really hard time finding pet food on Sunday, had to drive around quite a bit. And I’m mobile with a car, young and flexible. Not everyone has this luxury.

This is a virus, not an earthquake or hurricane with potential structural destruction. Even IF you end up having to quarantine, that’s gonna be for 2 weeks - no one needs 100 lbs of pasta, 50 bottles of soap or 200 rolls of toilet paper. And IF you end up stuck at home for a couple weeks and run out of food, there’s always gonna be ways to obtain some (delivery for example, helpful neighbors,...)

Please be considerate to others.

ETA for the US folks: Try Not To Buy WIC Items At The Grocery Store Right Now If You Don’t Need To

 

[Never_falter2]

@siniang Sorry but please carefully read my post before you write something like this. We were able to help our elderly neighbors BECAUSE we stocked food before so that we could give them food. They would be hungry now otherwise. My husband also went shopping for them trying to get some fresh fruits and veggies. Sorry but my guy has a medical condtion that puts him at risk of Coronavirus, decides to go shopping nevertheless to help other people. I didn’t want him to... and you call him selfish?
I wish you would read my posts before you would answer them.
Also I am not sure why a disabled person would not be able to stockpile food. I know several disabled persons who are preppers.

I think some people do not get the meaning of my post. I am asking people to stockpile food IN ADVANCE. I am not asking to start stockpiling when panic buying starts. It is to late then.

 

[siniang]

@Never_falter2 Points taken. Sorry.

But this:

I am asking people to stockpile food IN ADVANCE. I am not asking to start stockpiling when panic buying starts. It is to late then.

IS already too late. The virus is pretty much everywhere already. And your post specifically asked people to "stockpile". In bold.

Again, I apologize.

As for the disabled.... buying large amounts requires means of transportation. Not everyone has or can drive a car with their condition.

 

[Justmehere]

Be careful about not crossing over into pandemic-shaming. I'm not saying anyone is doing this here... but it is a common human behavior that will start happening as stress levels spike. It can lead to people looking for someone or something to blame rather than ways to cope... and that can go down dangerous roads... Be careful of my way is THE way types of black-and-white thinking. There is a lot of grey and unknowns right now. This is an incredibly diverse group and this virus is impacting an incredibility diverse number of cities, countries, life situations... When it comes down to it, the best way for one person to respond in their area and for their circumstances is not going to be the best for another in another area. Keep advice as advice, opinions as opinions. Nothing more, nothing less. I strongly suggest holding it all loosely.

There are a lot of questions and situation for which there really is not a yes or no, up or down, black or white answer. Just read how one infectious disease expert answers this question:

Q: For those adults who visit their elderly parents weekly, should they stop doing that—even if they are all relatively healthy?

A: Sadly, there’s no right or wrong answer. These aren’t “yes” or “no” questions. If you’re healthy and have no symptoms, there shouldn’t be any reason not to visit family members. If you feel unwell, absolutely don’t go. It’s not a smart decision.
Coronavirus in Canada: Should you shame friends into cancelling their vacations? (And 17 other urgent questions)

For an amazing article about pandemic shaming and culture on a much broader scale, check out:
Panic, Pandemic, and the Body Politic

FOR MANY CENTURIES, the conflict driving the plot engine of the human race has been the tension between individualism and collective behavior—between the goal of independent flourishing and the concept of the common good. As a species, we have spent several centuries nurturing a collective mindset that rejects collective endeavor, and most of us are living in nations that seem perilously convinced that the human race is a thing you can actually win.

That, as they say on the twitter-dot-com, is a real heckin problem.

 

[jaccat]

Stores in my town are really getting battered. There was a definite change in my place following yesterday’s government announcement- a sudden influx of people who’d been ignoring it up to now, who were shocked at the state of our shelves and walking round looking confused. My company’s being proactive over the situation (I’m actually quite impressed), and they’re putting in measures to get stock back in, but people are stripping it off the shelves before breakfast, and in some cases it’s not even getting to the shelf as people are stealing it off the delivery pallets. I had an older guy today have a go at me because I wouldn’t produce extra toilet roll for him- he already had two big packs in his trolley and would not believe me when I said there was no more.

Today everyone wanted thermometers! I’m guessing that was also a consequence of yesterday’s press conference.

There’s years of experience amongst the people I work with, in some cases 40+, but no one I know has ever seen anything like this.

 

[Justmehere]

We'll start seeing soon more information that they expect this to last awhile. Not weeks. It's as expected. Short of a vaccine, life is going to change for a bit. I was waking up at night with anxiety about this, I have been for awhile, and I feel some relief that others are starting to get it too. Scientists warn we may need to live with social distancing for a year or more

The good thing is that this is being talked about now. Eventually, people will start calling for shut downs to be less of THE solution because if they go on long enough, there will be deaths and losses from that alone. The reality is that many will die, but if we can slow it down at the start like this, it will help a lot over the long haul, and we'll reduce the totals. Again, most will get infected. I likely will get infected, if not already. It's a matter of slowing that rate down so that not everyone gets sick at once.

The thing that gets me... many nations can't get out of this without significant losses of life and jobs. And places like Venezuela? The only thing I can even think is... "Lord please have mercy on us." Not meaning to get into a debate about God but rather just stunned at what the virus is likely to do there. Washing hands is hard when there is no running water.

 

[Sideways]

It is not like Germany is a poor and desperate country typically suffering from shortage of food.

S'ok, absolutely wasn't what I was suggesting:)

I have no idea what the situation is in Europe, and for all I know? Your advice may be rock solid for many parts of Europe, taking into account the unique situation there.

The uniqueness from place to place was more my point. Here in Australia, the question isn't "what if we run out of food" (which is, for whatever reason, an issue where you are), but how to access the food that we have in plentiful supply.

Here in Australia we've had the major supermarkets enforcing tight limits on essential food supplies for over a week already. So even if you wanted to now stockpile here - things like rice, pasta, frozen veges, TP - there are have been limits of 1 or 2 of those items per transaction for a while now.

Things are changing daily, but the important thing is sharing accurate information. I'm not going to pretend that the information I've shared is even remotely on point for members in Europe. But stockpiling food here isn't the issue, it's how to access the food which is in plentiful supply:)

 

[EveHarrington]

My two cents, take it or leave it:

Thank you.

I have decided to not go. I have plenty of meds, perhaps 5 months worth if you count my refills. I am already shut out of therapy and my day program (but can still get home/community visits) because of my cough. This sucks, but I’ll survive. I can’t risk making myself or my mom sick as I am currently living with her and she depends on me for a lot now that she’s not supposed to go out at all. (Im not going out much anymore either, but at least I am able to do what’s necessary given that we are self isolating.)

Thanks again.

 

[EveHarrington]

Please tell me why you need to stock pile food (and toliet paper) for a god damn virus!

Saying this in general, to everyone. (Don’t want to make it seem like I’m coming down on you, because I’m not.)

There is definitely a difference to me between “stocking up” and “stockpiling”. To me, stocking up means ok, we bought a variety of foods, our cupboards may be full, and we are prepared to isolate for weeks+ if we need to. On the other hand, stockpiling is more like when the crazy coupon clippers go out and buy 183 containers of mustard simply because they can. I don’t know about anyone else, but it takes me over a year to just use one container of mustard! (Yes, I actually watched one of those coupon clipping shows where the family did buy a huge amount of mustard! ?)

So stocking up to be prepared for isolation = good as long as you’re not shelf clearing by buying an excess of anything, and stockpiling = bad because it’s just selfish and prevents others from getting just one of what they need.

Of course this all relates back to my own strong dislike of people acting selfishly.