Coronavirus and Anxiety

[Callie]

I have no anxiety about actually catching the coronavirus. If it happens, it happens. It'll be no worse than when I got the swine flu back in the day.

The issue is the people acting like this is the end of the world. Locally there are a few cases of it, and they've shut down a school corp. I heard there were shortages of things, so I decided to stop by Sams Club to grab some TP just to make sure I had some so I wouldn't run out.

As soon as I walked in they had pallets of water at the entry points. Nearly every cart I saw had two cases of water in it. When I got back to the actual bottled water section, I've never seen so many people shopping it before.

There was no toilet paper. The paper towels had a sign limit of 2, and were gone.

Decided to go to Costco, NO TOILET PAPER. They had paper towels in its place. Also NO BOTTLED WATER. An enter aisle of top stock was empty of I'd assume cleaning products.

Tried amazon, limited selection and way overpriced. Target online showed limited quantities, but I was able to order for delivery.

People acting this insane is making myself, as someone who deals with generalized anxiety, beyond anxious. I had to leave work early because I was having such bad anxiety. I didn't even worry about wiping down my cart, so it's not that I'm worried about catching it, but why are people stocking up on this stuff?

 

[RamblingMad]

It helps them cope. It makes them less anxious. Eventually, they’ll use all that TP they bought.

 

[ChrisFL]

It's a cascade effect...one person reports shortages of toilet paper, etc. and others also start noticing it, or taking some for themselves and it's eventually a self-fulfilling prophecy...of course enhanced by social media, where everyone has immediate access to this news and wanting to make sure they're not also missing out...getting some as well.

I think stores should have made stricter requirements about how many people can purchase already...but seems they're not responding that quicky.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

I’m confused by the whole thing as well. I don’t recall people being even a fraction as concerned about the last Ebola outbreak and that had the potential to be way worse, IMO. Now we’re talking about a disease that’s relatively mild in the vast majority of cases and the whole world is grinding to a halt. It baffles.

 

[rkstocke5609]

I’m sure we can get TP on EBay for a premium...

 

[lifesavacation]

These are stressful times. My anxiety has certainly gotten worse lately. Daily exercise and guided meditation seems to help.

 

[Callie]

These are stressful times. My anxiety has certainly gotten worse lately. Daily exercise and guided meditation seems to help.

I had to take my calming anxiety medicine it was so bad. Like lemme just get this coronavirus and be done with it.

Its how people are acting that is making me anxious. Yes I was more worried about ebola. That was a serious condition. Would not have been pleasant.

 

[Hikergirl]

I’m sure we can get TP on EBay for a premium...

You can get TP at my Target, the shelves were full today.
I guess people aren't really freaking out here which is kind of surprising since there are confirmed cases in all the counties around us

 

[ChrisFL]

There is/was a lot of unknown about this virus....testing for it has been tricky and difficult....having people potentially everywhere who are carrying it without showing symptoms yet...and potential for hospitals to be overrun.

Ebola was IMO different because it had been known about for a long time before it spread outside of Africa...this one just snuck up on us very quickly.

 

[jdb in AZ]

The Corona virus is upper respiratory in nature. It's not like the flu where you get the "runs." Of course anxiety over the virus can give you the runs.

 

[Farro]

Stay off the Covid threads, seriously.

And don't worry, soon we'll all have "covid fatigue" and everyone will stop caring.

 

[RamblingMad]

Stay off the Covid threads, seriously.

And don't worry, soon we'll all have "covid fatigue" and everyone will stop caring.

And then we’ll start dropping like flies and end up in a container and forced to watch reality TV.

 

[Hikergirl]

The Corona virus is upper respiratory in nature. It's not like the flu where you get the "runs." Of course anxiety over the virus can give you the runs.

Influenza is a respiratory virus.
It has nothing to do with the "runs"

 

[Wendy31]

Yes, I have anxiety, & I’m a worrier,

All the current stuff has made me feel anxious & unsettled. I admit to doing a little stockpiling. But I only bought one extra bottle of hand sanitizer (I always have hand sanitizer), & now I’m worried we’re going to run out. I also only bought one extra package of toilet paper.

But I was waaaaay worse during the H1N1 outbreak in 2009. In 2009, our older son was 8 & had asthma, & our younger son was an infant. I was a basket case. Since the COVID-19 virus doesn’t seem to be affecting kids & teens as much, I’m a little better this time around.

 

[MFL101]

Stay off the Covid threads, seriously.

And don't worry, soon we'll all have "covid fatigue" and everyone will stop caring.

Agree, less news consumption could be good for the psyche in this situation.

I will say, the reason governments are acting so seemingly alarmist is that this does eventually have the risk profile to suggest it could cause a massive loss of life to susceptible demographics over the next two years or so. Slowing it down is the only thing they can do to buy time for the research and treatments.

 

[Diznygrl]

I hear you. Like I said before in another thread, human behavior is scarier to me than any virus.

 

[Micca]

And don't worry, soon we'll all have "covid fatigue" and everyone will stop caring.

I agree. This thing is serious but people have pretty short attention spans these days. Somebody will do something egregious in a week or two and all focus will be on that thing. Bookmark the CDC site, and tune out the rest if it's making you anxious.

 

[Callie]

Yeah, I haven't been in the threads about it. I'm still planning on taking my trips. I have read the news like normal and its kept me calm about how tame the virus really is. I'm young, and my only concern would be I have asthma but its under control unless I decide to go out and run five miles.

Its the other things that have me worried like running out of basic things one needs. I have plenty of hand soap from bath and body works sales so I'm set there.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I try to look at Coronavirus news twice/day, in the morning and in the evening. That way I'm not getting all wound up about it by reading about it all day long.

But some days I can't help it. Like today I had to do some prep work related to my job. So I was all up in it today.

BTW--I realize the DIS probably won't set up a Coronavirus sub-forum, but I'd be for it. It seems like every other thread on the Community Board is Coronavirus related. Just seeing the thread titles is annoying.

 

[MFL101]

BTW--I realize the DIS probably won't set up a Coronavirus sub-forum, but I'd be for it. It seems like every other thread on the Community Board is Coronavirus related. Just seeing the thread titles is annoying.

I really like this idea!