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The Coronavirus Panic Thread

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  • #16
    OM freaking G!! We've been out of hand sanitizer and face masks and I get asked if we have more or where they are ALL DAY LONG. Make it stooooop! Every time we get more in they're gone in the blink of an eye. I've never seen anything like it. Apparently all the different stores around here are sold out.

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    • #17
      Quoth EricKei View Post
      If soap and sanitizer are selling out, how many of those buyers were not washing their hands regularly before this?!?
      That actually got raised at work this morning!

      Thankfully we seem to be taking this slightly more sensibly in the UK. The news coverage keeps emphasising that it is only immunocompromised and older people who need to worry as it has a lower death rate than the flu, but to avoid passing it on to those people please make sure you wash your hands, etc. The advice about self-isolating in your bedroom and cleaning the bathroom every time you use it in a shared household made us roll our eyes, though; what's the point? Given the estimated 2 week incubation period, everyone else in the house is infected anyway!

      We do appear to be having a run on hand sanitiser, though; our HR sent out an email earlier this week saying the usual (wash your hands, etc.) and that they'd be making sure all offices had bottles of hand sanitiser. That has yet to materialise, since the local shops have run out. No-one seems to be panic buying anything else, though, at least not around here.
      "It is traditional when asking for help or advice to listen to the answers you receive" - RealUnimportant

      Rev that Engine Louder, I Can't Hear How Small Your Dick Is - Jay 2K Winger

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      • #18
        Quoth greek_jester View Post
        That actually got raised at work this morning!

        Thankfully we seem to be taking this slightly more sensibly in the UK. The news coverage keeps emphasising that it is only immunocompromised and older people who need to worry as it has a lower death rate than the flu, but to avoid passing it on to those people please make sure you wash your hands, etc. The advice about self-isolating in your bedroom and cleaning the bathroom every time you use it in a shared household made us roll our eyes, though; what's the point? Given the estimated 2 week incubation period, everyone else in the house is infected anyway!
        Our media has been half-and-half on this. They've tried to emphasise that the ones most at risk are the vulnerable, but will then turn around and go "HERE'S THE FIRST HUMAN-TO-HUMAN TRANSMISSION CASE" in the next article. Drives me nuts.

        Our CEO sent out an email today asking for our staff to knock it off re stealing shit (which makes sense). I've been sent reminders about washing my hands properly whenever I enter and leave the hospital and in other parts of the hospital.

        In terms of the retial side though, I've heard it's gotten worse - to the point where two guys got into a knife fight over TP at my local supermarket

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        • #19
          I stocked up on our favorite natural brand of hand soap/sanitizer when it was on sale, and I think we have enough dry pasta, rice, and assorted sauces to wait things out for a few days if we need to. The food show that we were planning to attend later this month is still on, but we're paying attention. A friend in housekeeping at work gave me a full box of latex gloves and I'm using them out on the floor/on my trek home (they are presently hidden in a spare warehouse locker and only me, one CW and the warehouse guys know the combination).

          Mom had a physical yesterday, and the only person wearing a mask was in the main reception desk down in the lobby.
          "I am quite confident that I do exist."
          "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

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          • #20
            I was told that our Costco is out of toilet paper. I'm going this weekend and will see for myself while I'm there. To be fair, though, my town always operates as if it's the zombie apocalypse. So it doesn't take much to push people over whatever tenuous cliff they were standing at to go full on Walking Dead survival prep.

            Still... I know it's scary but calm down. Most of the people I know are being normal about it, but then you come across someone who's like "that person coughed it's THE VIRUS!!!1!"
            Replace anger management with stupidity management.

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            • #21
              I live in an area with a lot of allergy issues, so people are kind of used to sneezing and coughing. Saw very few masks on public transit today, none at irk.

              OTOH, there is now a command from manglement to wipe down desks with disinfectant wipes (provided by manglement) at the start and end of each shift. I remembered to do so this morning, but not at end of day, and I don't think anyone else paid attention at either end of the day.
              Last edited by Seanette; 03-05-2020, 02:54 AM.
              "Crazy may always be open for business, but on the full moon, it has buy one get one free specials." - WishfulSpirit

              "Sometimes customers remind me of zombies, but I'm pretty sure that zombies are smarter." - MelindaJoy77

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              • #22
                The one N95 mask I did see on the T was being worn by some bro who was obviously not related to the healthcare industry in any way, and he was wearing it wrong (full beard poking out the bottom among other 'this doesn't work that way'-ness)
                "I am quite confident that I do exist."
                "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

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                • #23
                  Had one person inquiring about when we'd get a new shipment of hand sanitizer in, but Wednesdays tend to be a very slow day at work (and my shift didn't start until 5:00 PM), so I have no idea if it occurred more often earlier.

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                  • #24
                    Quoth notalwaysright View Post

                    Still... I know it's scary but calm down. Most of the people I know are being normal about it, but then you come across someone who's like "that person coughed it's THE VIRUS!!!1!"
                    We're about 50/50 at work (keep in mind I work at a hospital, but it's a private one and we don't have an ED). We're all taking more precautions (eg washing hands, all patients due to be admitted are being asked about travel plans and are also being screened more thoroughly), but we can at least walk around without masks on.

                    Quoth Dreamstalker View Post
                    The one N95 mask I did see on the T was being worn by some bro who was obviously not related to the healthcare industry in any way, and he was wearing it wrong (full beard poking out the bottom among other 'this doesn't work that way'-ness)
                    was that the duck bill mask?

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                    • #25
                      At the hotel we've had several cancellations, which means our revenue has gone way down. Tour group providers have cancelled, and several folks from out of province have also cancelled. We already run at the bare minimum of staff, so we don't have to worry about losing our jobs - somebody has to be on the desk at all times. But we are wondering how this will affect all the properties handled by the group that owns our hotel. I wouldn't be too surprised if at least one of them ends up shuttered...

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                      • #26
                        I work in the front of a retail pharmacy...

                        Masks? GONE!
                        Sanitizer? GONE!

                        We're pretty good on Lysol spray and wipes. Selling a lot of the big bottles of soap.

                        Customers aren't in panic mode but I'm tired of answering questions. One woman rolled her eyes as she said she needed hand sanitizer for her daughter's kindergarten class. Another guy wanted to know if there was a limit on Dayquil/Nyquil for WHEN he got the virus. I saw him leaving with a bag so he probably checked out in our pharmacy. Didn't look like he bought much. We're good on toilet paper though.

                        I think we've had more flu cases in my area, lots of people with masks coming in the store. I've been cleaning our counters more and using more sanitizer than I normally would. I really just don't want to get sick.
                        I would have a nice day, but I have other things to do.

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                        • #27
                          Quoth Dreamstalker View Post
                          *snip*

                          I indulged my twisted sense of humor yesterday...I'm one of those people that sneezes in bright sunlight for no reason. I was sitting on the train platform waiting for a friend and sneezed quietly into my arm (once, I had no runny nose or anything else). The bench I was sitting on and about three feet at each end cleared out.
                          Makes me kinda sorry I don't take public transit ...

                          Quoth csquared View Post
                          8,200

                          Number of US deaths from influenza. Nobody is freaking their shit over that.
                          Yeah, but flu comes around every year. This is something NEEEWWWWW ...

                          Not saying that's rational, but I think it's a large part of the whole panic thing.

                          Quoth notalwaysright View Post
                          *snip*

                          Still... I know it's scary but calm down. Most of the people I know are being normal about it, but then you come across someone who's like "that person coughed it's THE VIRUS!!!1!"
                          Captain Trips says hello ...

                          Quoth Smapti View Post
                          I swear at this point that the panic is going to cause more damage than the disease itself. My co-workers and I have been joking about the madness to keep spirits up - my favorite sarcastic rejoinder at the moment is that if one more customer asks about hand sanitizer, I'm just going to start coughing in their face. (Not that I'd actually do that - it's just funny to imagine.)

                          Anyone else out there having their job thrown into disarray because of the "crisis"?
                          I like your solution to all the questions, even if you wouldn't actually do it ...

                          Good question about jobs being in disarray. I don't think things at my store have gone bonkers but I'd have to ask to get a definite yes or no ... will try to remember to do that on my next shift. We do have some days when it seems the entire city is in the store and buying canned goods, and then days when apparently everybody has gone out to the King of Burgers or something. We've always had decent-sized bottles of hand sanitizer at each register; it's just a matter of remembering to use it. When we get really slammed, that sometimes goes by the wayside.

                          Myself, I'm doing what I did in the Y2K panic: buying a few cans of this and that (stuff I intend to eat at some point no matter what) in case I have to go into quarantine with my cats (hmmm, should probably get some extra kibble and litter too) but otherwise not worrying about it. I've already got dried legumes and pasta and rice and in a pinch can whomp *something* up for a quick meal.

                          Oh, and let's not forget my alcohol supply ...
                          Customer service: More efficient than a Dementor's kiss
                          ~ Mr Hero

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                          • #28
                            Quoth Pixelated View Post
                            Makes me kinda sorry I don't take public transit ...
                            I look at it as "awesome, I can finally get a seat to myself/personal space now!"
                            Myself, I'm doing what I did in the Y2K panic: buying a few cans of this and that (stuff I intend to eat at some point no matter what) in case I have to go into quarantine with my cats (hmmm, should probably get some extra kibble and litter too) but otherwise not worrying about it. I've already got dried legumes and pasta and rice and in a pinch can whomp *something* up for a quick meal.
                            I've been shuttling frozen food over to the new apartment and realized we have way too much frozen tomato sauce, pasta, lamb, etc. so if things get weird we can probably eat from the freezer for at least 2 weeks. Might get a few bags of frozen veg just because.

                            Then again, mom has said that if things really get bad on the east coast we could bug out to my dad's; the town he lives in can be locked down easily and they likely have procedures/resources in place already.
                            "I am quite confident that I do exist."
                            "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

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                            • #29
                              Quoth Pixelated View Post

                              Oh, and let's not forget my alcohol supply ...
                              lol, I was thinking I should pick up some just in case for some reason I had to stay home but was not sick. I wouldn't be drinking if I caught something. The CDC site says they don't know if warmer weather will impact the spread but I'm guessing it will slow it just like the regular flu. I hope so, at least. I'm getting tired of this. I'll be totally calm about it but after hearing my coworkers freak out constantly all day long telling all the stories they've read, I start to get a little nervous about it, too. Not about me personally. General public hysteria is what makes me nervous.
                              Replace anger management with stupidity management.

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                              • #30
                                Quoth notalwaysright View Post
                                lol, I was thinking I should pick up some just in case for some reason I had to stay home but was not sick. I wouldn't be drinking if I caught something. The CDC site says they don't know if warmer weather will impact the spread but I'm guessing it will slow it just like the regular flu. I hope so, at least. I'm getting tired of this. I'll be totally calm about it but after hearing my coworkers freak out constantly all day long telling all the stories they've read, I start to get a little nervous about it, too. Not about me personally. General public hysteria is what makes me nervous.
                                Good point about probably not wanting to drink if you're actually sick. Oh well, the alcohol's not going anywhere.

                                I'm not hearing any public hysteria about it ... perhaps because there are no (known) cases here in My Hometown at the moment.
                                Customer service: More efficient than a Dementor's kiss
                                ~ Mr Hero

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