EDITORIAL - No panic buying

The Philippines, where water dippers and handheld bidet sprayers are widely used in washrooms, isn’t about to run out of toilet paper. So filling an entire cabinet with hundreds of rolls of toilet paper is not only unnecessary but may also turn out to be unsanitary, as paper that is stocked too long tends to deteriorate and may even attract disease-causing microorganisms.

Workers in the agriculture and fisheries sector, many of whom must earn on a daily basis, also haven’t stopped producing their goods. Meat, fish, fruits and vegetables, rice, salt and sugar aren’t about to run out. Not even African swine fever has stopped local hog raisers from continuing to produce and sell pork and pork products.

The food processors that buy the agricultural raw materials also aren’t stopping production, so instant noodles, canned meat and sardines, pasteurized milk, coffee and other items with a long shelf life aren’t about to run out.

There has been a spike in demand for alcohol, hand sanitizers and of course face masks. Officials have assured the public that supplies of alcohol and hand sanitizers are adequate, and manufacturers are happily moving to meet the higher demand.

So there’s really no need to hoard any item or engage in panic buying amid the growing 2019 coronavirus disease contagion. Health professionals have been one in stressing that the most basic defense against COVID-19 – or any other pathogen, for that matter – is regular hand washing with soap and water, plus the observance of cough and sneeze etiquette. They have appealed to the public to refrain from stocking up on N-95 masks, so that those who truly need the item – the health professionals on the front line of the battle against COVID-19 – will not face shortages.

Hoarding anything and panic buying will also put at a disadvantage the millions of Filipinos who cannot afford to buy in bulk, and are left only to panic. This period of uncertainty calls for civic responsibility, cooperation with health authorities, and avoidance of any action that smacks of hysteria.