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PANDEMIC ALERT LEVEL
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Now tracking the new emerging South Africa Omicron Variant

Grocery Store Experiences

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FluMom View Drop Down
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    Posted: March 13 2020 at 7:41am

Ok I put a sticky on this because I am sure you all are having experiences at the grocery store.

6:30 AM  King Soopers Colorado..I am standing in line with a full grocery cart and two women with carts each standing behind me in line.  They know each other.   LOL one says I am getting groceries for my parents.  They go on talking.  The she say how nice it is that I can do my own shopping, I am grey hair short fat little old lady.  The she says," I JUST CAME BACK FROM SWITZERLAND!  They don't have the virus there!"

Here I am in my N95 mask (thank God) and I say OH yes they do have Covid19 in Switzerland over 500 cases."  She just ignored what I said and went on talking to her friend. 

You can't fix stupid!!!! I was so glad I had a mask on!!!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Technophobe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 13 2020 at 8:01am

You rock, FuMom, standing there in your mask!

How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sheep Lady Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 13 2020 at 9:28am

Sad for the unbeliever.  It is incredible that people don't believe it is here and want to go about their daily routines like nothing is happening.  People are still  so unprepared and thinking this will go away in  a couple of weeks.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CindyLou Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 13 2020 at 11:04am

I was at Aldi a couple of days ago and a middle-aged man had a cart loaded with toilet paper and paper towels.  I asked him if he was going to stock up on a month or 2 months of food. He said "No, No one is buying any extra food, just toilet paper, paper towels and hand sanitizer. " Then he checked out..No food.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FluMom Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 13 2020 at 11:17am

Originally posted by CindyLou CindyLou wrote:

I was at Aldi a couple of days ago and a middle-aged man had a cart loaded with toilet paper and paper towels.  I asked him if he was going to stock up on a month or 2 months of food. He said "No, No one is buying any extra food, just toilet paper, paper towels and hand sanitizer. " Then he checked out..No food.

You can't fix stupid...lol that is a funny but sad story.  You can't eat toilet paper!!!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tabitha111 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 13 2020 at 12:26pm

I put this under the rant section but I am going to also copy it here...since it applies so well...


 

ou can't fix stupid....there....that's true...and what I did today probably classifies me in that category...I dared to venture out to the local grocery store (not Walmart) ....because I had a few more items to complete my stock ups and did not want to go anywhere this weekend...having said that ...

I did pretty well as far as I draped a few of those cart wipes over the handle of my cart, I brought my stylus to use at the checkout, I sprayed my hands down with sanitizer when I got in my car and lysoled at home...

Observations..
A lady my age -early 60's bopped in behind me as I was going in and she saw how crowded it was and turned to me and HYSTERICALLY (yes, she was hysterical to the point of popping a gasket) squealed..."THIS IS SO STUPID, ALL THESE FOLKS GETTING HYSTERICAL OVER THIS!" I calmly said to her "I think its a really good thing that people are preparing"....ha ha...made my day...as she shook her head and stormed off....

The self checkout line was long, but the other lines were much longer. Lots of folks with overflowing carts...I get it...its Payday for many and also for the Military today. I understand that folks want to be prepared, better late than never.

I was in the self checkout and the mom behind me had her little one with her, probably 4 years old...all of as sudden, coughing, from the little one, those awful snotty nosed coughs you hear...and the mom said not one thing to her, not "cover your mouth" or "sneeze into your elbow" she just let her cough and cough as I tried to move away...ughh..

Then the adult in front of me, was a lady of about 30, speaking to the middle aged dad in front of her..and saying "I always wash my hands, I did before, its nothing new to me" and "this will be over with in two weeks, but gosh, my work cancelled a meeting at the end of April...can you believe it?" and the guy was chatting back....and then ….a huge openmouthed cough from the girl in front of me right at the guy who was turned towards her!!! I could not believe my eyes....seriously (no they were total strangers to each other just chatting in line btw) If it had been me she had coughed at I would have FREAKED.

Sometimes I really hate people...end of rant.

     'When you feel as though you can't do something, the simple antidote is action: Begin doing it. Start
'A man who does not think and plan long ahead will find trouble right at his door.'
--Confucius

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KiwiMum Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 13 2020 at 1:32pm

I'm certainly finding my ears are picking up every single cough and sneeze, even when they are aisles away. I'm also avoiding very busy aisles and returning a few minutes later when the rush has passed. I was looking at all the old ladies in the supermarket on pension day and feeling really sorry for them. 

On a positive note, my very elderly father needs a monthly prescription which he has to sign for. He went to collect it this week and the pharmacy now has electric doors so he didn't have to open them. Then at the counter, they had placed a long table in front of the counter to stop people getting too close to the girls working behind it. And the girl said to him, you don't need to sign today as we don't want you to touch the pen so I'll sign it for you. And she handed him the bag and he left. The bag being the only thing he touched in there. I thought that was great. They were really looking out for the old people.

Those who got it wrong, for whatever reason, may feel defensive and retrench into a position that doesn’t accord with the facts.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote quietprepr Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 13 2020 at 1:39pm

Picking some last minute things up from the drugstore and the lady in front of me let a huge sneeze go all over the self checkout register touch screen! Made no effort to turn her head or cover her mouth! Then walked away. I was horrified, but the lady behind me asked if I was going to use that register...I told her to be my guest and I moved to the next one that came open.

People are so inconsiderate and disgusting!

QP

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CRS, DrPH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 13 2020 at 2:05pm

Toilet paper & paper towel section at a nearby Walgreens (Green Valley, AZ).  

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote ME163 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 13 2020 at 2:38pm

Walmart in my small town is nuts.  Half of the store is empty.  The local collage is empty of students.  We stopped at dollar tree and Walmart.  lots of empty shelf space.  Unusual that Walmart had a  limit on TP and water.  Was only able to get 14 pounds of ground beef. Will use our tier two food to make up for the gap.   We enjoy eating out, but not under these circumstances. I hope people consider our seniors and disabled population when they prep.  We have spent over 900 dollars in the past two weeks on food and preps.  We hope to make it thru this thing.  

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Newbie1A Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 8:58am

Well I did my last run to town yesterday - had to pick up a prescription for an elderly family member (had been warned to up qty and fill a couple weeks ago but...well, you know how it is) so unfortunately was in during afternoon (have been hitting stores here LATE to avoid ppl) and it was crazy.  Largest grocery in town (I took a dozen pics!) was crazy busy - about 3 bottles of 'green/colorsafe bleach left), no Lysol, no wipes of any brand, most rice gone, flour, yeast and sugar shelves empty, the shelf with powdered milk had maybe 4 tiny bags left, TP aisle decimated (just killing self laughing on that), freezer aisle bare, eggs completely gone (in a smaller city surrounded by farms!!!) just on and on.  There was a couple in the TP aisle and lady says 'WHAT is WRONG with these people'  - I said 'well the smart ones are getting ready to stay home anywhere from a couple weeks to a few months' (didn't say the really smart ones were ready to do that weeks/months ago!) she was stunned - told her and quite a few others who were mumbling about 'something wrong with people/it's just a cold' etc to go to you tube and search for Italian doctor Coronavirus, or watch Peak Prosperity videos, or get onto twitter and see the clips of docs/nurses breaking down after watching hundred die... they look at me like I have 2 heads!  

I guess at this point - that's a compliment, after all we all know '2 heads are better then 1'!!!!   

I'm a bit worried I might have exposed myself (family member is a much higher risk group then I am & loved with all my heart, so I took the chance)  'officially' there hasn't been a case of community spread here yet, I used hand sanitizer everywhere I saw it (& had gloves on) and didn't use public washroom - so praying I stayed clear of it. But I am glad I did go - I don't think I would have believed the 'emptiness' had I not seen it with own eyes.  So weird - you see the photo's of 'panic buying/empty shelves' in other countries, big cities etc and yet it doesn't seem like it's going to hit such a small place with that same level of ferocity... I guess what I'm trying to say is 'the brain knows it's coming, but the heart always hopes for the best and doesn't want to admit it'...  

If it's to be - it's up to me!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hoosiermom22 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 9:15am

Newbie, what general area are you located? I am thinking one more quick trip after taking some inventory.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LCfromFL Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 9:16am

My friend went to Costco in Jacksonville this morning. She wanted to get there before they opened.  

So did everyone else. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KiminNM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 9:17am

Just talked to my stepmom, they just got home from Trader Joe's.  At the best of times it's a busy store (one of the busiest in the country), they said it was PACKED, that they've never seen so many people there.  Employees told them there were lines around both entrances before they opened.  

I was too stunned to ask them what they bought - she said they bought extra, and to let them know if I needed anything. Told her I was done shopping. She asked "when did you shop?" "I started 7 weeks ago". Silence.

It really does take time for it to sink in for people psychologically, sigh. I was at the same store with my Dad on Tuesday morning - and told him to stock up now, this should be your last trip. Sigh. Now they've exposed themselves to a couple of hundred people. (yes, they have masks. no, they didn't wear them)

Local news reported NO toilet paper anywhere in town.

THIS is why we prep.  

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote Tabitha111 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 9:48am

Just emphaziing your last line - THIS IS WHY WE PREP

Truer words could not be spoken.

I am very grateful I heeded my inner hinky meter almost a month ago and started stocking up.

I remember making a U-turn when I passed a Sherwin-Williams one day long ago (ha ha..not that long ago really, maybe a month ago) and bought boxes of N95 masks and goggles. The shelves had many on hand.

I remember buying lots of canned goods, tp, sanitizer, Clorox wipes, Lysol weeks ago, when no one else was. My neighbor, who I told to stock up at the time I did, went out for Lysol yesterday and couldn't find any. They go out to the grocery every day, so why she didn't listen to me back then....

I remember going out and buying some wire pantry shelves and feeling so proud of myself for 'building an emergency pantry" in my extra bedroom whilst no one was paying attention.

THIS IS WHY WE PREP






'A man who does not think and plan long ahead will find trouble right at his door.'
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote Newbie1A Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 10:44am

Originally posted by hoosiermom22 hoosiermom22 wrote:

Newbie, what general area are you located? I am thinking one more quick trip after taking some inventory.

Central Alberta Canada - town is a population of about 18,000 with approx. that again is surrounding area, so about 36k.  Walmart, Superstore, dollar stores (2), all either empty or close to it (on items listed) the dollar stores were in better shape then the big box.  I didn't go to the other groceries in town (Safeway, SaveOn, Coop) as don't normally shop there - pricier stores but assume they will be close to the same if not yesterday then today, if ppl can't find what they want in regular haunts.

And yeah - I listened to my inner hinkey meter (never called it that b4!) as well, and bought all OTC, groceries etc as much as I could afford weekly basically since first reading on this in Jan...  It just stunned me how many people have NO clue... I've always been the tinfoil hat wearer - but it looks like the tinfoil amped UP the reception of message as so many without it, just never heard the message nor got the memo!

If it's to be - it's up to me!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote KiminNM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 10:57am

I think you're right about the tinfoil hat magnifying the message! LOL

I got curious, so looked back to see when I first started buying stuff. This crossed my radar on Jan 15th, and my first Amazon order was Jan 21st - Purell and masks. And with everything I read I just kept ordering more of other things.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Newbie1A Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 11:02am

Originally posted by KiminNM KiminNM wrote:

It really does take time for it to sink in for people psychologically, sigh. I was at the same store with my Dad on Tuesday morning - and told him to stock up now, this should be your last trip. Sigh. Now they've exposed themselves to a couple of hundred people. (yes, they have masks. no, they didn't wear them)
THIS is why we prep. 

Yeah - when family called and said they 'forgot prescriptions' on list earlier in week - my heart sank.  Only a few days of high  blood pressure pills left (insert column of blue smoke here!) and that is NOT a med I want to see anyone running out of if considering how high BP seems to be an issue  for this virus to really turn on it's 'aggression' for lack of better way to say it.  So now I'm even more dedicated to SIP for the 14 days (I'm thinking 30) of seeing no-one..in case.  Planned to be ok for months so doesn't really matter duration wise.

If it's to be - it's up to me!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LittleJake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 11:42am

My wife had to go to Publix two days ago to pick up my final scrips for a 90 day supply.  She was masked and gloved.  She went by the TP section and noted that it was empty.  Cleaning supplies, all gone.  No Hand sanitizer. Most of the Over the counter cold medicen and pain/fever reducers were gone.  She then noted that their was NO ICE CREAM, at all.  That is one I thick is really out there. 

I said before and will say again, I do not think we will lose power or water.  We are going to be okay, it will just take a little time . 

Do not ever panic, stay calm and focused.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote WitchMisspelled Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 12:19pm

Tabitha, those wire shelves are great, aren't they?  I've had them for years set up over a radiator (which is the size of a buick but is turned off).  I keep my paper, soaps, plastic trash bags, etc... there.  I bought a standing closet last year and I am so grateful I did.  It houses all my non-perishables and most of my freeze dried stuff.  It's like shopping in my own home!  

Kim, I hope your father ultimately listens to you and just stays home.  We all know on an intellectual level those shelves will be restocked within a week.  By then I hope people have stopped going crazy because they got what they needed last week and this week.  

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote WitchMisspelled Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 12:22pm

FYI.  I came across this article this morning and though I'd share.  Evidently it's only those big rolls of commercial TP that come from China, but the majority of TP Americans used is made in the U.S.A.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/business/toilet-paper-shortage.html 



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FluMom Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 12:29pm

You have to copy and paste the article people do not have membership to NYT.

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If there’s one image that captures the panic seeping through the United States this week, it might be the empty store shelves where toilet paper usually sits.

Shoppers, preparing for the possibility that the coronavirus could keep them quarantined for weeks or months, have been snapping up every roll they can find. The more images of stockpiling that emerged on social media, the more panicky buying that ensued. The result: The household staple has been consistently out of stock, whether at big box stores, at bodegas or on Amazon.

In an age of instant shopping gratification and same-day delivery, the idea that something so mundane could be unavailable seemed downright scary, and an ominous sign that a basic supply chain is under stress because of the pandemic.

But is there really a toilet paper shortage?

Major retailers say toilet paper hasn’t been out of stock in stores for more than a day or two, or even a few hours. Manufacturers, paper industry executives say, are raising production to meet demand, but there is only so much capacity that they can or are willing to add.


They want to satisfy panic buying without going overboard and creating a glut on the market when the surge subsides. 


Unlike some other products, toilet paper is not likely to be used more by Americans who are stricken with respiratory symptoms, even as the coronavirus spreads. 


“You are not using more of it. You are just filling up your closet with it,” said Jeff Anderson, president of Precision Paper Converters, a paper product manufacturer with 65 employees outside Green Bay, Wis. “What happens in the summer when demand dries up and people have all this extra product in their homes?”

Mr. Anderson’s business focuses on facial tissues, which are also in high demand, and he is paying employees overtime to work longer shifts. “We can’t make as much as they want right now,” he said.


Perhaps more than in its recent past, the paper industry seems well positioned to meet the surging demand. After decades of declining sales, as newspapers and printed documents lost out in the digital age, many manufacturers converted to making tissue products, like toilet paper and wipes. That means there is more manufacturing capacity that can be brought online.

But toilet paper is typically made to order. Because it takes up so much room, storing large quantities is not profitable, so the industry typically has only a few months of inventory on hand.

“There is not some big underground warehouse like in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ where there is all this toilet paper sitting around in case it is needed,” said Dan Clarahan, president of United Converting, which sells manufacturing equipment to tissue companies.

In more normal times, toilet paper demand grows by only a few percentage points each year, mirroring population growth.


Asked about the shortages, many retailers would not commit to a specific timetable for when the shelves would be restocked, calling the situation “fluid.” A retail analyst, Burt Flickinger of Strategic Resource Group, said big box retailers like Costco and BJ’s Wholesale Club have been able to restock most empty shelves within a few hours, or by the next morning, according to his survey of hundreds of stores across the country this week.

But it’s clear that the retailers, even those with experience in dealing with crisis-related demand before a hurricane or a blizzard, are being tested as demand surges across the country all at once.


Walmart said it was adjusting its supply routes to keep up. The company is picking up many high-demand products at factories and shipping them in trucks directly to stores, bypassing regional distribution centers.

The frenzied buying was even acknowledged Friday in the Rose Garden, where President Trump stood next to the executives of major retailers including Walmart.

“Toilet paper is not an effective way to prevent getting the coronavirus, but they’re selling out,” the health secretary, Alex M. Azar II, said.

People have been sharing images of toilet paper shortages and other empty shelves at Giant Eagle, a private grocery chain that has more than 400 locations and is based in Pittsburgh.


The chain said it had been working to increase the frequency of deliveries of “essential items” to stores and asked corporate employees to assist in stores, where other employees are stocking shelves and fulfilling curbside pickup and delivery orders.

All Giant Eagles have begun to temporarily limit toilet paper purchases to three packages per customer, Dick Roberts, a company spokesman, said in an email.


The vast majority of toilet paper consumed by Americans is made in North America. But about 10 percent of the giant rolls of paper that are used to make the rolls that end up in American bathrooms come from China and India. Those imports have been delayed because of the broader bottleneck of shipments from Asia, as the region begins to recover from the virus outbreak and factories come back online.

Joe Raccuia, chief executive of Morcon Tissue, which makes toilet paper in plants across the United States, said his supplier in Mexico had warned him about delays.

“It’s a matter of weeks, not months,” said Mr. Raccuia, who sells his toilet paper mostly to hotels and restaurants.

It’s not just toilet paper that people are stockpiling, of course. Weeks ago, there were shortages of hand sanitizer. By Friday, the panic buying had extended to bottled water and thermometers.

Popular thermometers, like those sold under the Vicks brand, were listed as out of stock on the websites of retailers like Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens and Staples.

Even on Amazon, the options were grim. For example, a Vicks ComfortFlex thermometer that was listed for about $10 on Walmart’s website was being sold by two sellers on Amazon for at least $40, and could not be delivered for at least a week — a far cry from Amazon’s usual advantages on price and speed.

Amazon did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote KiminNM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 12:49pm

That's the NYT article. FWIW, they're wrong about people not using more.  Anyone not at work for 40+ hours a week is going to use more toilet paper than normal at home!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Usk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 12:52pm

In northern va all the grocery stores are out of meat!!!???

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CRS, DrPH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 1:12pm

WalMart Super Center in Sahuarita, AZ was wiped out of bread, Mexican canned goods (black beans are a fantastic prep supply), canned soups etc. 

We have a very large Hispanic population, and I'm sure they must be freaked out - if they are here without documentation, they must be terrified - what does "National Emergency" mean to them?  People kicking in doors? 

Many of the children were terrified, because their parents' fear was perceptible.   This brought back over 50 year old memories of when the Chicago area suffered a record-setting "big snow" in 1967!  My folks had me head out to the local small grocery store with my sled, which had a cardboard box taped on. 

At the store, I saw similar scenes to what we are seeing....folks buying fresh milk and bread in a panic state, mostly.  I was 12 years old and remember the fear like yesterday, that is why I've been prepping since that age.  

I work in the food & manufacturing sector, and these sectors are responding with increased production, shipping and stocking.   The US Government also controls a vast supply of consumables....not many know that there are about 1.4 BILLION pounds of processed American cheese on storage in US facilities!!  

https://fee.org/articles/why-does-the-federal-government-have-14-billion-pounds-of-american-cheese-stockpiled/

We won't starve.  However, our economy will take a massive hit, and disruptions due to social distancing and quarantine will hit all of us.  Hang in there, I'm always watching events.  Best, Chuck

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Technophobe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 1:16pm

You will not be alone in taking that economic hit.  Every country has that target painted on it.

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His lips or pen are moving.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CindyLou Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 1:21pm

My son went shopping at Meijer this morning around 9 am.. The lines were short.. so people had stopped the panic buying of the last few days.

But the water was gone. Only water that was left was the most expensive brands.  Sambucol and elderberry products were on the shelves. But the more well known cough and cold medicines were almost gone.

 No toilet paper or paper towels. Limit signs were  just posted above the empty paper product shelves. No hand sanitizer or bleach. Laundry and dish soap was ok.

The meat was almost all sold out, but he managed to get chicken drumsticks. The butcher was restocking chicken breasts.

Maybe this panic buying will come in waves as more bad news is announced.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FluMom Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 1:24pm

If we all eat up all that cheese we will need a bunch of EX - LAX....LOL!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KiwiMum Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 1:48pm

I saw real panic buying the day after our first large earthquake 10 years ago. No one saw it coming, it was a 7.4 and people were terrified. They were so frightened they were getting abusive with staff and each other. I guess it's fear. 


I was wondering if the smart move would be to go shopping late at night instead of first thing in the morning. There have been queues here waiting for the shops to open, but since they stock up throughout the day here (they get 5 delivery trucks a day at my local store), I'm thinking that 9pm would be a good time to go (the store shuts at 10pm). I've driven past late at night and it's always deserted.  What do you think?

Those who got it wrong, for whatever reason, may feel defensive and retrench into a position that doesn’t accord with the facts.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pheasant Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 1:53pm

Absolutely, the wife used to do the shopping, and always went 2-4 in the morning....place is always empty (at the 24hr stores)

The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself......FDR
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Newbie1A Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 2:04pm

KiwiMum - I've been going as late in the evening as possible for last few weeks (except for yest- yeash) and it's great!  Hardly anyone in store, shelves are stocked decent etc. I do heavy farm chores in mornings typically and nothing 24 hrs here so evenings have worked really well for me.

Oh and LittleJake - I did get a picture of the 1gal Ice Cream display yest as it only had a few tubs left - all common/popular flavours long gone!  I thought that was weird too - I guess 'comfort food' for some??? or maybe thinking if kids get sick - it's cold/soothing to eat/easy on throat?  Not sure.

If it's to be - it's up to me!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tabitha111 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 3:55pm

Originally posted by Usk Usk wrote:

In northern va all the grocery stores are out of meat!!!???



Same here in Hampton Roads....

'A man who does not think and plan long ahead will find trouble right at his door.'
--Confucius

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote carbon20 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 4:09pm





Our stores have been emptied,of rice, pasta,flour,etc....

Wife complaining,

she did say it was  silly to prep,

She dosnt know I got stocked up weeks ago,,

Still haven't told her....

I'll wait till things get real bad, it will be like Christmas lol

At our local store a man had a cart of toilet rolls, the shop assistant said only I pack per person per till,

He made his 3 year old, go through another till by himself with a pack.....SAD......very sad....


Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.đź––

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BeachMama Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 9:09pm

Our local Wal Mart closed at 3 pm due to low stock. That made me go   ! 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jacksdad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 9:43pm

Carbon, my wife has always tolerated my prepping - I think she figures it keeps me out of trouble - but by Friday, she was a full on prepper to hear her talk. I know she's anxious (remember that moment when you first panicked? Mine was at a pharmacy years ago after looking for asthma inhalers at five other stores and finding none. I had a major anxiety attack thinking it was H5N1 and other preppers had got there first. Turned out they'd just taken it off the market because of the propellant. Duh). I saw her checking her phone at 4:30 am, and she got up shortly after saying she couldn't sleep. She went into the living room and started watching CNN, and she was still watching when I crawled out of bed a few hours later.

Yep - stores are being cleared out here, and a lot shut early tonight to try to catch up with restocking and slow the panic buying. They'll just be a bigger crowd in the morning, I'm sure. My "Oh crap, it's starting" moment was when I went to Walmart at 5:40 am on Friday, and it was as busy as you'd expect it to be at midday and the shelves were stripped clean of canned food, rice, etc. The cashier said it had been like that all night. I'm not stressing - we have enough to keep us going for quite a while, and the holes we have to fill will be with things most people aren't buying. I just feel bad for anyone starting to stock up from scratch now. It must be terrifying, especially with the speed this is escalating. Every hour brings more bad news. Stay safe, guys.




"Buy it cheap. Stack it deep"
"Any community that fails to prepare, with the expectation that the federal government will come to the rescue, will be tragically wrong." Michael Leavitt, HHS Secretary.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FluMom Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2020 at 10:31pm

WOW, I am going Monday morning early to my local store to get just a few things, really I need stamps....LOL!  But I will get a couple of things if they are there.  Stories here are interesting but what I always imagined would happen if we had a Pandemic.  Why I prepped all these years.    I checked my Freeze Dried Foods tonight, it is all covered with plastic to keep dust off and I have more than I thought so I am not really needing much.  At least we will have electricity and water really a blessing!!!

Can you guys imagine people doing this and no electricity or water....a true disaster.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WitchMisspelled Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 15 2020 at 5:47am

I finished up food preps back at the end of February.  Right now I'm having trouble obtaining weekly groceries.  I don't want to have to dip into my preps yet, but it's looking like I'll have to until this craziness stops.  If it stops.  I'm not sure it will.  

Almost every thing in my Amazon Fresh cart was deleted due to low or no stocks this morning.  The only things left was salad croutons (but lettuce was gone), a bag of MilkyWay fun bars , one lone package of diced ham and instead of two half gallons of milk, I'm limited to buying one.   

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jacksdad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 15 2020 at 6:42am

I just ran to my local Ralphs and it's closed. Instead of 5am-1am, their hours are now 8am-8pm. lots of people doing the same thing as me - trying the doors then leaving. The local Farmers Market should be almost set up at this time too, but the street is deserted. This get more surreal by the day. I don't mind admitting that this has me really scared.




"Buy it cheap. Stack it deep"
"Any community that fails to prepare, with the expectation that the federal government will come to the rescue, will be tragically wrong." Michael Leavitt, HHS Secretary.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tabitha111 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 15 2020 at 8:56am

I am so grateful for this site...you do not even know how much. I followed along for years, just a lurker, since I have a keen interest in emergent diseases. As soon as Wuhan started, and I saw the posts on here about "prepping" I went into full prep mode, something I have never done in the past. I guess I always figured that I would do it if I sensed a real threat....but you all were like the canary in the coal mine and I went full blast.

I honestly had no idea that the store shelves would get bare like this. Countless posts on my local Facebook groups of frustration...yelling at folks to leave some for others, moms not finding formula, diapers, wipes....others saying its all hysteria to make us spend our money....others saying they are going to do what they want to do and no one is going to make them stay in...not go out to eat...not set up play dates...why is the park closed?? whine whine....I NEED my store open 24 hours!! whine whine

So glad I grew up and experienced stores NOT open 24 hours, not open on Sundays even, one car in the family, no internet., no Netflix, 4 TV stations...because it really makes a difference on how you see things and how spoiled we have become.





'A man who does not think and plan long ahead will find trouble right at his door.'
--Confucius

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KiminNM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 15 2020 at 9:29am

Originally posted by FluMom FluMom wrote:

WOW, I am going Monday morning early to my local store to get just a few things, really I need stamps....LOL!  But I will get a couple of things if they are there.  Stories here are interesting but what I always imagined would happen if we had a Pandemic.  Why I prepped all these years.    I checked my Freeze Dried Foods tonight, it is all covered with plastic to keep dust off and I have more than I thought so I am not really needing much.  At least we will have electricity and water really a blessing!!!

Can you guys imagine people doing this and no electricity or water....a true disaster.

If you don't have to go out, don't! Why risk it if you have what you need????

You can order stamps by mail, either from the post office, or even from office depot. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ME163 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 15 2020 at 10:30am

Jack, did you prepared ? I did and still needed to go to Walmart .  It is ok to be scared ,  We are all in the same boat.   

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FluMom Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 15 2020 at 1:55pm

Originally posted by KiminNM KiminNM wrote:

Originally posted by FluMom FluMom wrote:

WOW, I am going Monday morning early to my local store to get just a few things, really I need stamps....LOL!  But I will get a couple of things if they are there.  Stories here are interesting but what I always imagined would happen if we had a Pandemic.  Why I prepped all these years.    I checked my Freeze Dried Foods tonight, it is all covered with plastic to keep dust off and I have more than I thought so I am not really needing much.  At least we will have electricity and water really a blessing!!!

Can you guys imagine people doing this and no electricity or water....a true disaster.

If you don't have to go out, don't! Why risk it if you have what you need????

You can order stamps by mail, either from the post office, or even from office depot. 


My really very good friend's daughter called me and said they were going to Costco and Kings did I want anything.  Told her to get stamps at Kings and Feta Cheese any size where they had it.  I am in for the duration!  I am calling my accountant and telling him I will go in drop off my stuff and he can call if he has any questions and to mail my stuff back to me!! I am done!!  

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