Panic, or preparation?

This afternoon I went to my local Trader Joe’s grocery store and saw this. These particular shelves are where they stock pastas and jars of sauce.

Yesterday in the checkout line at Raleys, I heard a woman mocking the people who were buying stuff “like a nor’easter is coming.” (We definitely do not have nor’easters in California!)

Are people panic shopping? Or is it preparation?

As most of you know, I’m kind of obsessed with viruses and epidemics because of my background in microbiology, and the novels I’ve written that are about viruses. I’ve been following the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak closely since January, so I’ve been a little ahead of the curve. Did I go pandemic pantry shopping?

You bet I did. About two weeks ago I bought powdered milk, Spam, rice, and more. I call that being prepared. That lady who was laughing about other people buying canned goods? Perhaps she should read Aesop’s tale of the grasshopper and the ants.

Now, some shoppers might indeed be panicking. They might be buying for the wrong reasons, or making ridiculous choices of what to put in their carts, or buying a lifetime supply of toilet paper. But I think it’s prudent to put a few pounds of spaghetti (and other nonperishable items) in the pantry.

The COVID-19 pandemic is not the end of the world. We’re not in a doomsday scenario, and you don’t need to prepare for a post-apocalyptic aftermath. However, there is a reasonable chance that in the coming weeks your household might not be able to go to the store for a period of time. Why? Maybe you’ll feel like you want to avoid exposure. Maybe you’ll be exposed and have to self-quarantine for 14 days. Maybe your local authorities will ask everyone to stay put. Maybe you’ll have a cough and for the common good you’ll stay home. Maybe you’ll be sick. Maybe you’ll be caring for a family member who is sick.

The good news is you don’t have to prepare like a hurricane is coming. COVID-19 isn’t going to take away your clean tap water or electricity. (Do people not realize this? I understand there has been a run on bottled water. Why are they buying up bottled water?) The other good news is in general, I don’t expect shortages in our supermarkets to last for long after this round of stocking up. Some products may disappear because of global supply chain disruption, but I think in general, store shelves will fill up again.

If you can afford to buy ahead and stock up, there’s no harm in it unless you’re snatching quantities that are closer to hoarding than preparation. If your family never goes on lock-down, great! In a few months the local food bank will be grateful to take that canned chicken off your hands.

Get the scientific backstory on SARS-CoV-2 and emerging infections. Read my concise ebook “The Coming Pandemic” for free. If you like it, please share with others and leave a review on amazon.

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