[Marsh.]

What's the panic buy for?

Are we having a food shortage? Or people don't have other people to do the food shop if they become ill?

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

What's the panic buy for?

Are we having a food shortage? Or people don't have other people to do the food shop if they become ill?

Panic about panic is the simplest way to put it. People are worried that areas could enter quarantine (as has happened elsewhere). If that happens, people will DEFINITELY panic-stock and shop shelves will be stripped bare (think the great supermarket bread shortage caused by The Beast From The East) so if you were one of the people who DIDN'T panic-stockpile... you now might find the shops low on some things.

Ironically though, people are panic-stocking on stuff like massive bags of pasta and white rice... when A) these are nutritionally crap and B) the supermarkets are highly unlikely to run low on them anyway!

What might run low is fresh produce like bread, meat, fruit & veg, milk, etc. That might happen whether there's a legitimate threat or not, like I said earlier... if Social Media goes nuts on telling everyone to stock up, enough people might follow that advice to create a shortage. And then their bins will be overflowing with mouldy bread and off meat in a month, and they'll still be working their way through their pasta cupboard in 2023.

[Cherie]

It's not that there will be a food shortage, but if all these people are going to get ill and be forced to quarantine the chain is going to slow and inevitably there will be low stock, I have been fattening Mr C just in case

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Cherie

It's not that there will be a food shortage, but if all these people are going to get ill and be forced to quarantine the chain is going to slow and inevitably there will be low stock, I have been fattening Mr C just in case

We're all coming round yours for quarantine. We heard you have all the grub.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Livia

We're all coming round yours for quarantine. We heard you have all the grub.

I have you covered Liv!

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Cherie

It's not that there will be a food shortage, but if all these people are going to get ill and be forced to quarantine the chain is going to slow and inevitably there will be low stock, I have been fattening Mr C just in case

Again this is based on the really bizarre idea that everyone who is going to get ill is going to get ill at the same time. I keep reading in the papers this figure that 80% could get it" and then the reporting carrying on like that means 80% of the country would be ill all at once. It means that 80% of people are likely to get it over a span of months or even years.

Only semi-valid concern is travel restrictions slowing international supply chains but the concern there is "maybe not being able to get everything you usually get"... not "there is literally no food".

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Again this is based on the really bizarre idea that everyone who is going to get ill is going to get ill at the same time. I keep reading in the papers this figure that 80% could get it" and then the reporting carrying on like that means 80% of the country would be ill all at once. It means that 80% of people are likely to get it over a span of months or even years.

Only semi-valid concern is travel restrictions slowing international supply chains but the concern there is "maybe not being able to get everything you usually get"... not "there is literally no food".

Like okay, I bought a few extra teabags and long life milk its not the end of the world as we know it, you only have to look at how people react at Christmas and in the snow to know it can get very messy very quickly

[Cherie]

Anti bac being a case in point, you can't buy it for love nor money, I don't buy it but I have friends at a special needs school and they use tons of it and its now out of stock everywhere bought by people who wouldn't normally use it

[The Slim Reaper]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Like okay calm down, I bought a few extra teabags and long life milk its not the end of the world as we know it, you only have to look at how people react at Christmas and in the snow to know it can get very messy very quickly

The biggest worry about this virus is that people are buying long life milk. I'll take my chances with lung death rather than resort to such desperate measures!

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by The Slim Reaper

The biggest worry about this virus is that people are buying long life milk. I'll take my chances with lung death rather than resort to such desperate measures!

its actually not too bad!

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Panic about panic is the simplest way to put it. People are worried that areas could enter quarantine (as has happened elsewhere). If that happens, people will DEFINITELY panic-stock and shop shelves will be stripped bare (think the great supermarket bread shortage caused by The Beast From The East) so if you were one of the people who DIDN'T panic-stockpile... you now might find the shops low on some things.

Ironically though, people are panic-stocking on stuff like massive bags of pasta and white rice... when A) these are nutritionally crap and B) the supermarkets are highly unlikely to run low on them anyway!

What might run low is fresh produce like bread, meat, fruit & veg, milk, etc. That might happen whether there's a legitimate threat or not, like I said earlier... if Social Media goes nuts on telling everyone to stock up, enough people might follow that advice to create a shortage. And then their bins will be overflowing with mouldy bread and off meat in a month, and they'll still be working their way through their pasta cupboard in 2023.

Oh so like Christmas then.