empty grocery store shelves from panic buying during coronavirus pandemic

Coronavirus pandemic: don’t panic, but be prepared

June 14, 2021: Be sure to see this post, “Brands have no business pushing COVID-19 vaccines,” to find out why these injections may not be safe or effective — despite what the media says.

March 16 update: Holy shit.

March 15 update:

Here is the latest video from someone who’s been out in front of this outbreak since the beginning. He expects the U.S. to impose a national quarantine this week:

Mortuaries overwhelmed in Iran:

Original post, March 12, 2020:

So, yesterday was a busy news day for COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, President Trump restricted travel from Europe, the NBA suspended its season after Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus, and, oh yeah — Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, said they have it too.

I’ve been following news of novel (meaning “new”) coronavirus, or COVID-19, since late January, keeping an eye on its progression and asking my loved ones to keep a low profile at home.

I think now it may be time to do the same for you.

I don’t want to sound alarmist, but given the growing number of closings, quarantines, and event cancellations, well — it’s probably better to be safe than sorry.

Because whether or not coronavirus itself is any more dangerous than seasonal flu (and the latest information suggests that it is), public panic can become a very real problem, and business and store closures could disrupt our vital supply chains.

As is happening right now in Italy and a growing number of other countries which have put themselves on lockdown and closed all stores except pharmacies and grocery stores in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

To help you get a handle on this, I’ve compiled some links to important information about coronavirus, including regularly updated situation reports and tips for staying healthy.

It’s important reading, especially if you have older loved ones and/or people with severe chronic conditions to think about.



What is a coronavirus?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO):

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans. In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.”

The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.*

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath

*This is based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period of MERS-CoV viruses.

A real danger here is that the virus attacks the lungs, causing viral pneumonia which can quickly lead to critical illness and death.

How coronavirus is spread

The WHO says, “COVID-19 can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets. This is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick.” (More recent guidelines say to stay at least six feet from others — if you have to be near others at all.)

WHO is assessing ongoing research on the ways COVID-19 is spread and will continue to share updated findings.

Who is at risk from coronavirus

We all are.

The CDC has said that older people and people with serious chronic medical conditions (such as heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease) are at higher risk of serious illness from coronavirus. But I’ve read several stories of young and healthy people in their 30s going from hospital admission to critical condition in the intensive care ward in just 24 hours.

This chart from March 5 shows how the fatality rate starts to rise dramatically for people over age 50, and especially over 80.

flu vs. covid-19 death rates by age

Check the Worldometer for the latest stats. View up-to-date numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases on this interactive world map.

World Health Organization (WHO) information about coronavirus (COVID-19)

Visit the WHO’s main coronavirus page here: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Direct link to the organization’s advice for the public: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

To summarize the WHO’s protective measures:

  1. Wash your hands frequently. Clean hands regularly and thoroughly with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
  2. Keep your distance. Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) of distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
  3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
  4. “Practice respiratory hygiene.” This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.
  5. If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early. Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance.
  6. Stay informed on the latest developments about COVID-19. Follow advice given by your healthcare provider, your national and local public health authority or your employer on how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) information about COVID-19

Visit the CDC’s main coronavirus page here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

The CDC’s Situation Summary page includes regularly updated information on the source and spread of the virus, the current situation in the U.S., and other info, including this rather ominous little tidbit (boldface is mine):

“What May Happen”

More cases of COVID-19 are likely to be identified in the United States in the coming days, including more instances of community spread. It’s likely that at some point, widespread transmission of COVID-19 in the United States will occur. Widespread transmission of COVID-19 would translate into large numbers of people needing medical care at the same time. Schools, childcare centers, and workplaces, may experience more absenteeism. Mass gatherings may be sparsely attended or postponed. Public health and healthcare systems may become overloaded, with elevated rates of hospitalizations and deaths. Other critical infrastructure, such as law enforcement, emergency medical services, and sectors of the transportation industry may also be affected. Healthcare providers and hospitals may be overwhelmed. At this time, there is no vaccine to protect against COVID-19 and no medications approved to treat it. Nonpharmaceutical interventions would be the most important response strategy.

My understanding is that “hospital system overload” may be one of the biggest problems currently facing hard-hit Italy. This is not good. It means inadequate care for all patients, whether you have coronavirus, a pre-existing condition for which you receive regular treatments, or you fall off a roof and need to visit the emergency room.
Visit this CDC page for updated information about total coronavirus cases in the U.S., including number of deaths, sources of exposure, and a map of states reporting cases.

Stock up on supplies

Maybe you’ve seen photos of grocery stores with bare shelves where the toilet paper used to be. “Panic buying” like this can become a real problem, real fast.

You may want to consider stocking up on supplies now in case this happens in your area, or in case you need to stick around the house for an extended period — say, a couple of weeks or a couple of months.

Supplies to have on hand include:

  • Bottled water
  • Canned foods
  • Other nonperishable food such as rice and noodles, protein bars, dry cereal, dried fruit, etc.
  • Pet food, cat litter, etc.
  • Medications, pain relievers
  • Hand soaps and disinfectants
  • Tissues and toiler paper
  • Toothpaste
  • Batteries
  • Coffee/alcohol

My wife just returned from another grocery-store outing and said it was a madhouse. Every open checkout had about 20 carts in line.

Don’t panic, be prepared

Remember, the reason for all the closings and quarantines is not to keep you from getting the virus. (You probably will eventually, either naturally or through a vaccine.) The reason is to help prevent everyone from getting it all at the same time, which would overwhelm the health care system and prevent everyone (not just coronavirus patients) from getting the care they need.

So hang on, and hang in there. Hopefully, this whole thing will blow over quickly so we can all get back to normal, with nothing more serious to worry about than how stupid the next Liberty Mutual TV commercial will be.

In the meantime, dear readers — stay safe, stay healthy, and stay home if at all possible.

Go back to blog home page.

Got something to share? Keep it calm, keep it constructive. I will moderate comments with a heavier hand than usual as this is a sensitive and potentially scary subject.

5 comments

  2. Thanks for your excellent post Rob.

    I’m already finding it quite fascinating how strange it is to be viewing tv ads through the prism of this current crisis. It seems like 90% of commercials are even more absurdly ridiculous now because they represent a way of life we’re no longer able to live – i.e. nearly all of the pharmaceutical ads, Golden Corral, which of course highlights their “buffet,” Dennis Duffy licking Tina Fey in that stupid-ass Allstate ad and so on and so on. I have to say, I just saw a Sling ad with Maya Rudolph where she basically says, “Just stay home and Sling.” It’s pretty funny. If I’m not mistaken, I think that ad started running just a few weeks before Covid really became a reality. Either the Sling folks were incredibly prescient or just lucky.

    Either way, I wonder how long it will be before the brilliant minds behind so many of the mind-numbing ads we suffer through, will start tailoring their ads to reflect our new, scary reality. Will they even try? I’m not gonna hold my breath. If things go the way the experts are saying, we could soon be in a situation where our collapsing economy will leave us in such a world of hurt, few commercials will have any place in our lives since so many businesses will no longer exist. Frightening. In the meantime, my wife and I are laughing our last laughs at the utter uselessness and ineffectiveness of most tv ads while simultaneously trying not to scream in terror.

    Sorry, I know that’s a bit grim.

    1. Good observations, Perry — or should I say, Criswell? I’ve been thinking the same. As this crisis unfolds, watching most TV commercials feels totally surreal.

      I think we will see a tonal shift soon. Just as the wry and sardonic sound of TV commercial voiceovers took a break after 9/11, it seems inevitable that brands will need to sound a bit more sober going forward from here.

      To paraphrase something I said on Twitter today, how brands behave now really matters, because we won’t forget when all of this is over.

      Take care and stay safe!

    1. Thanks, Chris. I’m listening to the latest Sam Harris podcast now.

      I appreciate the sober analysis by Harris and the good advice to work from home and avoid social situations for now. Also good to hear Harris and his guest clear up some dangerous misinformation about how long the COVID-19 virus can survive on surfaces. (I just read about a study which says the virus can last up to three hours in the air, and for several days on surfaces. The latest guideline I have heard is to stay at least six feet from others — if you have to be near people at all.)

      Pick up some supplies on the way home and stay safe.

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