When panic about the coronavirus started, I hadn’t really noticed anything. I saw the memes of people stocking up on toilet paper first on an Australian “The Simpsons” meme page.
These memes became more common which started to scarce and worry people about the apocalypse. Meanwhile, I was still focused on homework and projects. I was aware of the virus and its effects, yet I didn’t know much. It wasn’t until I went home for the break that I saw the impact.
When I got to Boise for spring break, my dad informed me that the panic had hit Boise hard. My mom and dad told me that both frozen and non-frozen vegetables and were cleared off the shelves.
When grocery shopping, we decided to go to the medicine department to buy daytime cold medicine. When we arrived, it was the same story; no daytime cold medicine insight.
When I asked my dad why we needed it, he told me he was battling a cold. At that moment, my dad sneezed and a man with a cart full of goods took off down the aisle like a runner at the start of a race. We laughed at how paranoid people were being; sneezing isn’t a symptom of COVID-19. Yet it showed the reaches misinformation spreads through.
As I looked through that bare shelved store, a couple of things came to mind. I found it amazing how quickly items vanished off shelves when fears of the coronavirus hit the country.
Stores were even limiting people to a certain number of toiletries they can buy and would not accept any returns of items. All those panicked buyers might regret their decisions very soon. When their rent is due, all those people will be scrambling to return their excessive amount of items.
What came to shock was how quickly food ran out for people who didn’t panic bulk buy. At my friends’ house, I saw cans of tuna on their table. I joked that they must be prepping for the apocalypse, but he explained that was the only food he could find. Everything else was cleared out at the store.
I didn’t see anyone in Boise wearing face masks, but on my bus ride to Moscow, I saw a young woman wearing gloves and a surgical mask. It made me realize how much the coronavirus and the panic surrounding it existed.
It goes to show, that in the midst of all this, pay attention. Get what you need, and please stay informed.
Ryan Hill can be reached at [email protected]