Pandemic panic causes people to crowd DR stores

An unusual wave of customers yesterday crowded some supermarkets in the country in order to stock up on supplies, for fear of a possible expansion of the coronavirus causing the covid-19 disease, while in pharmacies the sale of face masks, vitamin C and antibacterial gel to the point that they were exhausted.

In a tour of several shops located in the central polygon of the National District, it was found that they were crowded with people, most of whom were carrying canned goods, water, food, among other provisions as a preventive measure.

Although order and calm reigned among consumers, it was obvious that the issue in question in the long lines when paying was the concern of being infected by the coronavirus and the mistrust that many have of the information that the authorities provide regarding the subject.

“I do not trust the veracity of what the Ministry of Public Health is saying,” Ligia Pichardo said with concern, after receiving at the Carol Pharmacy from the National Supermarket a “there is no” question of whether they had masks.

As explained by Mrs. Pichardo, who was looking for 7 masks for her family because she stored enough antibacterial gel and gloves, her disbelief arose after the authorities said that the people who have had contact with the infected had them under control, but a commercial plaza issued a statement on their networks where they reported two suspected cases of the virus in a bank.

“We know that it develops after 14 days; meanwhile, in those 14 days, people are asymptomatic and can infect anyone. On Sunday we are going to have elections, what better place to continue spreading the disease?” He added.

She stressed that she is not under a kind of irrational fear or obsession with the virus, but she has a condition that makes her very vulnerable with the flu, so she took the measures.

In pharmacies. Yesterday several pharmacies had exhausted the N97 type masks, (the reusable ones), antibacterial gel, vitamins C (in all its varieties), gloves, alcohol and the soladek due to a large number of people demanding these products.

In the special case of masks, as they commented in some pharmacies, they were forced to limit the sale of masks to one box per person (boxes have 50 and 100 units), to give other clients the opportunity to obtain them and cover mouths that used in surgeries experienced an increase of fifteen to 30 pesos.

“Although there isn’t now, it doesn’t mean there won’t be. Supply is constant due to high demand,” said a clerk from one of the pharmacies who did not want to reveal her name, as they have been prohibited from giving statements to clerks and managers.