The Toilet Roll Crisis… Our Descent to Dystopia?

Unless, you”ve been living under a rock, most likely you’ve heard of this teeny weeny virus that is threatening to push the whole world into dystopia. But I present this question to you… is it really coronavirus making this so? This strain of Corona Virus is not new but it is the first time that humans are affected by it. As such, we have no inherent protection against it so humans pick it up easily and yes there’s associated mortality with it -3.7% at last count by WHO. Statistically, this is not a significant number but the constant bombardment of media spin have stirred some people into hysteria. Doomsday preppers must feel like that the time has come for what  they have been prepping for all their lives. People have started to do panic buying and some grocery store shelves are actually empty! Hand wipes, sanitizer,  toilet rolls! have sold out like they were going out of fashion. The worrying bit is that I do not think that it’s the virus that will wipe out humankind. I think humankind will wipe itself out if the scuffle over toilet roll in a supermarket is something to go by. I just saw a shared video of a mother and daughter (both adults) having a scuffle with another woman over a pack of toilet rolls. The mother and daughter had a trolley full of toilet rolls (at least 5-6packs of 12 rolls each) and the other woman said she just wants to have 1 pack. Staff had to intervene and police had to be called in…to settle the custody of a pack of toilet rolls. I am not trying to make light of the situation because I understand that the fear is real but do we really have to descend to the level of a pack of hyenas fighting over a carcass? Are humans not more evolved? Perhaps, the hyenas take offense in my liking this kind of behaviour to theirs. Perhaps, I am wrong in my metaphor for at times animals show more compassion than humans. Perhaps, the fact that I work in the health service makes me more rational about the situation though fear still strikes my heart when somebody coughs or sneeze within 2 meters of me without covering their noses and mouths but I do not go into hysteria. We have dealt with infectious diseases every day of our working lives. But the general public do not have the benefit of this experience and knowledge. They are reliant on mainstream and social media; sometimes, these are not that reliable for rational factual information. If this society, as we know it, will devolve into dystopia I dare not point a finger at the virus. It may be but a catalyst but I hold the media accountable for stirring hysteria and sensationalizing the associated mortality; minimizing the fact that there’s actually 96.7% survival rate! That’s a big number lost in all this panic. So do I have enough food in my flat right now? Yes, I do as I always have. I haven’t over stocked my cupboards and no! I did not hoard toilet rolls. Besides, if this is indeed the eve of the apocalypse of the human race then I do not want to survive in a world where people fight tooth and nail over a pack of toilet rolls. Keep calm and just wash your hands. NB. Handwashing, people, is our best weapon! Not a new thing but one that must be practiced religiously if we are to win this fight against COVID-19.