The Damage Caused By Hoarding During the COVID-19 Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic is drastically changing the lives of everyone around the globe. While people can hope that global citizens will work together to overcome this crisis, there are always those looking to either profit from the situation, or only think about their own well-being. There are people who rush to stores during any emergency, grabbing up food and other supplies as quickly as they appear on the shelves. Unfortunately, during a long-term event like the pandemic, hoarding may cause even more harm than leaving a family without toilet paper.

Profit Margin

When opportunity knocks, answering the door isn’t always the right thing to do. Many people viewed social seclusion and the oncoming pandemic as a means to make a quick buck. To these citizens, hoarding isn’t about making sure families are fed or personal needs are met. They intended to grab as many key items as they could and sell them on virtual marketplaces for inflated prices.

Aside from people finding it acceptable to profit from another’s misfortune, charging extra for needed goods creates a divide in society. Suddenly, those with lower incomes cannot afford crucial supplies while buyers with more disposable income have greater access to that merchandise. Thankfully, anti-price-gouging laws are on the books in many states, and online retailers such as Amazon and eBay are placing limits on prices for critical supplies.

Drastic Reaction

Not everyone seeks to gain from tragedy. Sometimes people are simply scared of the situation and are doing the only thing they know to prepare. The Times suggests that those hoarding paper goods like toilet tissue are doing so because there are no real alternatives. A shopper can find other foods if the brand or flavor they want is out of stock, but with a single aisle in average stores devoted to paper products, they will quickly run out if everyone chooses to stock up.

Unfortunately, it’s not just toilet tissue that stores are running out of. Masks, gloves and other essentials professionals need for fighting off COVID-19 are in short supply as well. In fear of catching the disease, many people overprepare which leaves those who truly need supplies without options. Even Doctors aren’t immune to anxiety, though they should know best of all what damage hoarding medical supplies can cause. When it was learned that hydroxychloroquine might be effective at fighting off coronavirus, physicians began to write prescriptions for themselves and their families. If testing shows that the drug is indeed the best method of speedy treatment, those stockpiling would be keeping the pharmaceutical out of the hands of patients who really need it.

Staying Safe

The Delta Scientific Corporation is well versed in matters of security. Even so, manufacturing the strongest portable and permanent barriers in the industry doesn’t help keep people safe when the true danger lies in actions that are self-focused. Hoarding deprives people of much-needed goods, spurring more shoppers to grab up necessities as soon as store shelves are restocked, compounding the problem dramatically. During these trying times, our team of experts hope people will unite in the search not only for a cure but for solidarity in helping others make it through this crisis together.

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