OK. SO people are freaked out. Well, some of them. I get it.
What I don’t get is they are perfectly willing (seemingly drawn like moths to a flame, as the saying goes) to stores that they HOPE have the supplies they are compelled to buy/hoard. Ok…so they think the virus is very dangerous. Got it. So why are they jammed packed into stores (literally 1,000 within 1 hour at Costco, as told by the staff, and I’ve seen pictures that show essentially the same crowds) with other human beings (clearly they know that humans can transmit the coronavirus without being symptomatic) without wearing hazmat suits. I just don’t get it–they are deathly afraid of contagion, yet they gladly flock to the stores that hold more people than what municipalities are now claiming is no longer “permitted”. Think Santa Clara county, as an example of the latest edict.
I have to conclude that all those shoppers aren’t REALLY afraid to catch something from their fellow shoppers-they just want to snag food and supplies before anyone else does. It seems more like a fear of “missing out” than it does a fear of a communicable disease.
To James, at bottom of thread: there are MANY threads related to the virus, on this section of the forum. Did you complain that all of them are off-topic?
On Friday, Sir Patrick suggested managing the spread of the disease so that the population gains some immunity to the disease was a part of the government strategy.
This idea, known as “herd immunity”, means at-risk individuals are protected from infection because they are surrounded by people who are resistant to the disease.
Yesterday, Dr John Campbell reversed course the day after describing the UK strategy and said that they should really be following the WHO strategy, which as he pointed out contradicts the UK strategy. Mass testing is what we need.
but upon reflection, those who test negative one day, could be infected hours later and test positive on subsequent tests. so where do we stop testing?
I find this explanation of human behavior in the face of real or perceived risk insightful. This is a Bill Maher interview, so be forewarned that strong language is used.
As humans, our survival is wired to perceive a threat and respond to it. Since fear triggers a response to some threats, the response is not always logical and involves the amygdala portion of the brain. It is highly useful for survival but is not known for logic.
I think we need to forgive humans for being humans. To expect otherwise is unrealistic. Making fun of this behavior is not helpful. We are not perfect creatures.
.Many humans have intellectual and emotional issues that can lead to harmful behaviors, like falling for scams. This is something that we need to make sure none of us fall victim to under stress
Although I can understand the concern, the forum is about diabetes, and this section is specifically Type I and LADA, and although there are diabetes-related virus concerns, I believe this thread is off-topic.
What would you have them do for their supplies? A big box store is more likely to have things than, say, a small mom & pop corner general store. Costco, in particular, since it has many of its own branded products. Case in point - they were long sold out of Bounty paper towels when I stopped by last week, but had a full wall of their own brand. Why people were scooping up paper towels, I don’t know.
I think this past week, depending on where one is, was the huge ramp up of news and fear, and the discovery that they could very easily be the next person and family to be quarantined and not permitted to shop.
There is no real logic to the hoarding, although unlike other countries, no one has really told them that the supply chains won’t fail. My belief is that after these mass runs, everything will be re-stocked in due course and stay that way.
I haven’t been shopping in a few days (I usually shop 3-4x/week because I prefer fresh meat and produce) and I won’t go wait on a line at 7:30a in hopes of getting “something,” but if I knew I was guaranteed some hand sanitizer I might because I’ve only got one tiny bottle. I’ve got a few risk factors but I have to go to physical therapy for my frozen shoulder because even a week off earlier this year caused a big set back.
I made my monthly venture into civilization today to drop my husband off at the airport (he’s a pilot, and works half the month away) and stock up on supplies… Like I do EVERY month. And OMG, the insanity! Luckily, he had a crack of dawn flight, so we were there waiting when the grocery store unlocked the doors. But they announced before unlocking that they weren’t able to get a truck the previous day, so what you see is what you get. I’ve lived in Florida and thought hurricane stocking was crazy, but I’ve never seen so many naked shelves. The produce section (which thankfully was my main reason for being there) looked pristine and untouched, fully stocked. But then you rounded the corner and the aisles were EMPTY. Not a single package of pasta, tortillas, dried beans, etcs. The only canned goods I saw in the entire store were a few lone cans of expensive tomatoes, and a partially unscathed international aisle with diced chiles and the Goya odds and ends, and some stir fry veggies. Of course no medications or alcohol/sanitizer.
The thing that kills me, is the rush on hydrogen peroxide. Why? What on Earth do people think it’s going to do for them? Peroxide is not going to save you from covid-19. Yes, it can disinfect… But it’s one of the least effective ways. Requires a lot of product since it cant be diluted like bleach or alcohol, and requires long exposure time to work. Go buy yourself a bucket of dry pool shock and NEVER be without bleach again.
1/4 cup of calcium hypochlorite = 1 gallon of household bleach, per the US military.
Personallyy, my dog likes to defend me from skunks when the hubby is away. She only EVER runs then off when he’s gone. I guess she figures it’s his job when he’s home. I NEED the peroxide to de-stink her, ala Mythbusters peroxide, baking soda, and liquid soap method. I’m officially the most peeved that I went to six different stores today, and not one single bottle of peroxide existed. I find this the most devestating of all the things covid-19 insanity I’ve encountered thus far.
I’d like to see the hording curtailed by rules in the store if people can’t stop from hoarding ridiculous amounts of product. That has already been implemented (LIMITS), so I am not alone in that sensible idea.
"Hydrogen Peroxide According to the CDC, household (3 percent) hydrogen peroxide is effective in deactivating rhinovirus, the virus that causes the common cold, within 6 to 8 minutes of exposure. Rhinovirus is more difficult to destroy than coronaviruses, so hydrogen peroxide should be able to break down coronavirus in less time. Pour it undiluted into a spray bottle and spray it on the surface to be cleaned, but let it sit on the surface for several minutes.
Hydrogen peroxide is not corrosive, so it’s okay to use it on metal surfaces. But similar to bleach, it can discolor fabrics if you accidentally get in on your clothes. “It’s great for getting into hard-to-reach crevices,” Sachleben says. “You can pour it on the area and you don’t have to wipe it off because it essentially decomposes into oxygen and water.”
The internet is how we typically buy many things, but the panic buying has depleted availability of many desirable products online. Try buying sanitizers and all the other things in the news lately, from online sources. It’s tough!
I didn’t know the CDC was actually saying that. I have a master’s in molecular and cellular biology. Microbes are kinda my thing. Peroxide has always been a bit of a last resort 6 to 8 minutes is an ETERNITY when you’re talking sanitization. The preferred agents are going to work in seconds.
oh, yes, I agree. But these seem to be desperate times, and folks are looking for alternatives, even if they are slower (and hopefully they understand that!).
Here it is Sunday at 1PM. I just called my wife (she had to return something) to see how bad it is at our local Target. She said it is calm. I’m surprised. It is a busy store in a popular mall so it gets a fair amount of business. I’ve no idea if the shelves are picked clean, however.
EDIT: My wife just got home and told me many shelves are bare. Cold medicines are one of the casualties. Cleaning supplies, food, baggies…but she didn’t take a full inventory in her brief visit, so I’m certain it’s much worse than that.
My husband went to the local grocery store this morning. Except for some sanitizing products they were not out of anything. The manager did say that the trucks to the store are being delayed.
In addition to supermarket online ordering some stores are opening at 7am to 8am exclusively for the elderly, disabled and frail customers. Grateful for this concession.
I don’t think they are afraid of the virus either, Dave44. They are afraid that if they don’t get their cut now, then there wont be anything left. I went in yesterday and saw the madness. The entire bread isle was empty. Now, I could exist happily on a diet of chocolate cadbury eggs for several weeks, I’m sure. But, I wanted spaghetti dinner and sandwiches for work this week. I experienced what might be a diabetes influenced rage of knowing that there will NOT be any sandwiches. Spaghetti isle looked like a massacre took place there. I understand why you are irritable about this now. I understand.
Strangely, there was a woman in line behind me who said she had been all over town to find bubble gum for her autistic granddaughter who needed it for ‘sensory reasons.’ She said there was none in town. Bubble gum?!?!? Why bubble gum shortages?
