Everyone thinks the world is ending.

Well, this photo has nothing to do with the coronavirus, but it is disaster related. I think it fits closely enough. This was a thrift store that sold baby stuff. It was a really old building, so unofficially I would say it was probably electrical related.

That isn't the point of this article anyway. The world is ending. At least, that's what Walmart looks like right now. I haven't seen that kind of insanity since that one time I went Black Friday shopping with my mom. Except, it wasn't electronics that was the hot commodity, it was anything non-perishable. I think that was the first time I had personally seen the effects of the virus. This situation isn't an uncommon one, and is definitely one of the most mild experiences anyone has had concerning the virus. I think it just made it more real for me. Within days of this attempted shopping trip, the hotel I work at upped their sanitation massively. Then the fitness center and pool closed. More local hotels shut down, restaurants too. If their still open they are to-go only.

Within two weeks my hotel shut down. Since this company houses their employees, they still have to feed them. So, a skeleton crew is being decided to determine exactly which employees are needed to continue the most basic operations. No one is allowed in the hotel unless they are working. I've gotten a few hours since the shutdown, but I have no idea if I will be a part of the skeleton crew. It will be about 15 people out of 100 or so employees. At first, we thought we were getting kicked out of housing, but this was revealed to be a misunderstanding.

While I appreciate having a place to live and two meals a day, not getting paid sucks. I still have bills. I'm luckier than most for sure. Still. A majority of the American population isn't getting paid right now. So when I need some ramen noodles or some toilet paper, the walmart apocalypse is a bit ridiculous. I do not understand how panic buying helps stop coronavirus. In fact, that many people in the same place is most definitely dangerous for everyone. There are lots of people in much worse situations than I am. People with kids that are running out of food. People with infants that have no formula or baby wipes or diapers. The elderly who are at a much higher risk than others with no access to essentials, are having to put themselves at risk to even try to get what they need.

The coronavirus should be taken seriously, it is not a flu, it is highly contagious. Early simulations run by the CDC showed that if no action was taken, infections (not to mention death tolls)would have skyrocketed. So yes, it is a big deal. Maybe make sure you won't need toilet paper for a while. However, NO ONE needs 100 rolls of toilet paper. Not a single person. NO ONE needs to hoard 50 bottles of hand soap. This mass panic thing is crazy. This is not just stocking up to avoid having to go to the store for a couple weeks, this is madness. The world will keep on turning, and this virus will eventually fade. So, please, from one of the people at the least amount of risk who would just like to go grocery shopping like a normal person, calm down. It will be ok.