Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

milestogo

(16,829 posts)
Sat Mar 14, 2020, 04:27 PM Mar 2020

People are stocking up on things unrelated to getting sick.

Like TP and water.

I had no trouble buying nyquil, mucinex, tylenol, listernine, and kleenex. I ordered a thermometer on Amazon.

Everyone thinks "other people" are going to get coronavirus. I assume I will probably get it.

16 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

OhZone

(3,212 posts)
1. I think it's because people -
Sat Mar 14, 2020, 04:31 PM
Mar 2020

feel like they won't be able to leave the house a lot in the coming weeks.

Flaleftist

(3,473 posts)
10. Yes. People are concerned about a lockdown like in Italy, Spain
Sat Mar 14, 2020, 06:06 PM
Mar 2020

soon to be France and who knows how many other countries.

Xipe Totec

(43,890 posts)
2. Not only that, they go to the stores in hordes, which is exactly what they're asking us to avoid
Sat Mar 14, 2020, 04:32 PM
Mar 2020

Who knows how many people will contract COVID-19 because they went to the store to buy up the last square of toilet paper on earth.

samnsara

(17,622 posts)
3. they may be worried that the stores will shut down and since self quarantine
Sat Mar 14, 2020, 04:41 PM
Mar 2020

..is 2 weeks that's a lot of butts to wipe esp if the entire family needs to stay in.

SmartVoter22

(639 posts)
5. Can you adapt to no paper products?
Sat Mar 14, 2020, 04:50 PM
Mar 2020

Think about this.
There are no paper products anymore. No TP or paper towels or wipes.

Can you replace them, in your home, and adapt that to your daily life?

You have to be able to do what you did with paper, say with cloth, and then clean them so they do not infect or re-infect you and your family? It's not pretty, but humans have been doing this alot longer than paper products have been around.

Can you adapt? Hint: Talk to someone over 60 yrs that had cloth diapers when they were babies. You might learn a thing or two.

Mossfern

(2,509 posts)
7. Not only did I have cloth diapers as a baby
Sat Mar 14, 2020, 04:54 PM
Mar 2020

but I used cloth diapers on mine, youngest is 31.

I loved folding diapers just taken off the clothesline after drying in the sun all day.
The scent was so refreshing and soothing.

milestogo

(16,829 posts)
9. I have extra now, but I have no reason to think these things are going to run out.
Sat Mar 14, 2020, 06:05 PM
Mar 2020

Today while I was shopping they were stocking TP and paper towells. People kept taking it, and they kept putting more out.

meadowlander

(4,395 posts)
13. Yes, but is that what you want to spend your energy on when you're sick?
Sat Mar 14, 2020, 06:37 PM
Mar 2020

Of course you can wipe your backside and clean the kitchen counters with rags (hopefully not the same one) and then do laundry five times a day but is that what you really want to be doing when you have a fever of 103, body aches and chills and a hacking cough?

A pandemic causes stress, which eats up energy, which leaves less for your immune system.

You should be planning to make life as easy as possible for yourself while you are sick so you can rest and focus on getting better. So yes, buy a reasonable amount of TP and paper towels and things that make it easy to disinfect things and paper plates, cups and disposable cutlery (if it saves you having to hand wash things). We can all worry about waste reduction next year.

Buy food that is healthy but still convenient and easy to prepare.

Clean your house and mow the lawn and wash your sheets now while you're feeling good so you can put genuinely your feet up when you're not.

Afromania

(2,768 posts)
6. Picked up some extra ibuprofen for fevers, Gatorade for extra hydration, New thermometer
Sat Mar 14, 2020, 04:51 PM
Mar 2020

And some cough medicine to go with things that we already have in the big old box of medical stuff I keep.

lettucebe

(2,336 posts)
8. Yeah, I thought of Nyquil, Kleenex
Sat Mar 14, 2020, 06:02 PM
Mar 2020

7-up, things I know I'll want if i get sick. Most likely a few idiots just started to panic buy TP and the rest is history. You see a line, you want to get in it (before it's too late, eh?). Many people are like sheep and happily just follow the herd

meadowlander

(4,395 posts)
11. Water is silly. Municipal water supplies can run on auto-pilot for months.
Sat Mar 14, 2020, 06:28 PM
Mar 2020

You're not going to lose running water and if you do it will only be in a localised area (busted pipe and too many people out sick to repair it right away, etc.). In those situations, supplies can be brought in or people can be moved out temporarily.

You only need to stock up on bottled water if you can't drink your tap water normally for some reason. If you're worried about corona virus getting into the municipal water supply and getting past all the normal treatments like filters, chlorine, UV rays, etc. you should be equally worried about it getting into the water bottling plant. Basically at that point, you're going to get it no matter what so you're better off spending your energy building up your immune system to fight it off.

TP is understandable. If you're not meant to leave your house for weeks at a time and getting deliveries put you at risk of exposure then better to stock up now. It's one of the few things that you absolutely need to leave your house to get if you run out. And it's not like it expires and you won't use it eventually.

Like you, I assume I'm going to get it. When I get it, I don't want to leave the house again and risk infecting other people. So I have the stuff on hand that will let me get through 2-3 weeks without having to leave the house including healthy food that is easy to prepare when I feel like crap, about a months worth of TP, a months worth of prescription meds, the stuff I normally have when I get the flu (throat drops, thermometer, tea and honey, pain relievers, tissues), some basic cleaning supplies, some stuff to entertain me. If you have pets or babies, supplies for them.

That's really all you need. It's extremely unlikely that people will lose power, Internet, phone lines, cable TV or that water will be cut off. At that point you would be facing total societal collapse complete with looting biker gangs and unless you've been stocking a cabin in the woods for the past five years, you're screwed anyway.

Sunsky

(1,737 posts)
12. It's actually very related
Sat Mar 14, 2020, 06:37 PM
Mar 2020

Since we are social distancing etc. I want to limit my time out shopping. I've bought in bulk items that we use regularly, so I don't have to make trips to buy them.
Also, if it comes to the point where we have to isolate ourselves. I would like to have necessary supplies at hand.

milestogo

(16,829 posts)
14. Well, I agree with that.
Sat Mar 14, 2020, 06:43 PM
Mar 2020

If I can reduce my shopping trips to one a week instead of 2-3, that's an improvement.

 

LArider

(69 posts)
15. Most folks
Sat Mar 14, 2020, 06:44 PM
Mar 2020

obviously have never been through a hurricane. Get beer and gas, (unleaded and natural) and you'll be fine.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»People are stocking up on...