Covid-19 – an anecdote on panic-buying from the frontlines - Commander S THAYAPARAN (Retired) Royal Malaysian Navy

Survival

Malaysiakini : “Hysteria is impossible without an audience. Panicking by yourself is the same as laughing alone in an empty room. You feel really silly.”― Chuck Palahniuk, 'Invisible Monsters'

COMMENT | A young nurse who works at the frontline out of the blue emailed me about the panic-buying she has witnessed and how it has affected her family and her. In a long email, she told me how she was working multiple shifts and she was self-quarantining because she did not want to endanger her family.

Her oldest son was doing the shopping since her husband passed away some years ago. He has been doing this since he was a teenager. Life was tough but enjoyable before she “went to war” with this virus. However, her son who (also) works in the essential services industry has been finding it difficult to get groceries and other essential items because of all the panic-buying.

Online shopping for fruits and vegetables are beyond their means. Not only is she looking after her family, but she also has to think of some members of the extended family from her husband's side as well. Her son either gets up early to go shopping or tries to do it during his lunch break - which is difficult – but most times when he heads to the supermarkets or grocery stores, panic-buying has left the store empty.

Read it all here...........