I think media has fueled panic-buying and stock market lunacy. If people purchased what they normally do, even buying twice that amount, stores would not be running out of anything because they are receiving normal shipments.
Globally, with a population of 8,300,000,000, approximately, by percentage .00003 have contracted COVID19 and .00000126 have died. In China, with its population of 1,408,000,000, approximately .00018 have contracted it and .04 of those infected died, or .0000075 of their total population.
The US has a 2020 population of 331,000,000, and approx., .00004 have been infected and .0000006 have died. Less than 1/100th of one percent of the people in the US has gotten this virus. Think about those numbers!
Currently, of the 253,750 infected (worldwide), about 7,450, or .03 (3%), are considered serious but not all of them require(d) hospitalization. Over 70% of those who have contracted the disease, have recovered from it with less than 10% of those requiring hospitalization. If you doubled the infection statistic, 7% of 507,500 is 35,525 –California alone has more hospital beds than that!
Better news is, statistically the percentage who are dying has slowed, while the numbers who recovered have gained in percentage. Covid19 mortality is not even 1/4 of the number who die of the flu every year. In America it is just over 200 death’s, 20% of whom came from the nursing home in Washington. When a serious virus hits a place with closed-in residence, it is going to spread. Plus, nursing homes already have a significantly compromised health population.
Look globally; after having been to Paris and Rome, I can tell you that people in those cities are packed in like sardines, even compared to Manhattan. From the top of the Eiffel Tower, in all directions you look, all you see are rooftops. There is no such thing as social distancing in those cities and people are not stocking up on anything like many people here.
A final note. I found it interesting that the CDC suggests that people stay inside. If it isn’t inclement outside being in fresh air and getting vitamin D from sunlight has to be good for you. Get outside, cleans your body and mind.