I had but a small taste of what it feels like to be cut off by hoarders today.
For the most part, we really haven’t struggled with groceries much since this thing started. Eggs always seem to be out, yet my wife found someone at work who has chickens and we were able to get a few that way that we honestly haven’t even used yet. Milk and bread looked tight, but before we’ve run out we seem to have been able to get some more.
Still haven’t managed to find toilet paper, and I think we’re down to maybe four rolls now, but I was able to pick up some extra baby wipes the other day so I’m not super concerned there.
Until today, what’s been the most challenging has surprisingly still been distilled water.
I need it for my CPAP machine. I honestly don’t usually even use the humidifier in it, but I started getting a sore throat from post-nasal drip right around when this all began and in that case the moisture is a lot better than forcing dry air down my throat for 7-8 hours every night!
So I don’t know if people bought it all out by mistake when they scooped up the drinking water or if people who specifically need it are hoarding it, but admittedly I felt kind of helpless watching my jug get closer and closer to empty while our shopping trips out kept coming up empty handed.
Between yesterday and today, it took me seven stores to end up finding some – Target, Walgreens, Winn-Dixie, CVS, Walgreens, Winn-Dixie, and then ironically that first Target again today suddenly had a couple dozen gallons on the shelf. Before that, I heard, “There wasn’t any on the truck we just got…” or “We only got 8 and they sold out immediately…”
One even told me when the next truck would come next Wednesday and suggested I wait in their parking lot like other customers have been doing!
And it was both frustrating and also humbling because sure, it was a giant pain in the ass and it felt a little dangerous to be running around everywhere while we’re supposed to be staying home, but also what if it was something like medication that I couldn’t find anywhere? Like that malaria drug that apparently is also used to treat lupus and has been flying off the shelves ever since Trump mentioned it in a briefing a few days ago?!
My result would be an extra sore throat, or worse side effects if I decided to just run regular water through my humidifier.
Someone else’s result for not getting their meds could be much worse!
I feel like that’s the big takeaway that I feel obligated to remind myself and other people about all of this is that if the worst I personally experience is some mild inconvenience, I’m getting off light as far as global pandemics are concerned.
Another 268 deaths here in the USA from this yesterday, and after playing with the numbers and reading some more articles about projections, I have a bad feeling that we’re nowhere near the worst of what this thing has to offer. I hope that everybody is wrong, but that’s not what we should be planning for…