Well here in the UK we are in lockdown. The Brits have shown their true spirit by ignoring the advice from Government and our wonderful healthcare professionals and went ahead as normal with their lives. We have placed others needlessly at risk and have selfishly stripped the supermarkets bare and then tried to populate small towns and villages to escape the big city just like locusts to steal valuable resources from the local population.
I only work part-time as a teacher and am very happy to support the children of key workers. We need to support those on our frontline keeping us safe and look out for our health and do whatever we can to help others.
Once a vaccine has been developed it should or could be live tested on a number of candidates since they are willing to put theirs and our lives at risk. Now where did I put the toilet roll…
Yes sadly the situation is similar here in Australia with many people panic buying and stripping supermarkets of products leaving many elderly or disabled people without essential supplies. The practice of city dwellers heading to country towns to raid their supermarkets is also particularly loathsome and has been happening here for a couple of weeks.
Amazing that not a single zombie movie or television show in history every saw the toilet paper crisis coming. Truth is stranger than fiction, as they say. The good news is that Rupert Murdoch produces many toilet paper substitutes worldwide and using his newspapers for this purpose is far better for you than actually reading any of them.
While the selfish behaviour of these vile people is depressing, there are also many examples of good people helping the more vulnerable members of society which shows that there always those who rise above the trash and exemplify the best traits of human nature.
Hope our fellow authors stay safe throughout this crisis and best wishes to all of them and their families.
Yes, we are the worst species. the same actitud all around the globe. I really fear for underdeveloped countries, critical places like South America, Africa, India, etc, those places can’t take hits like Europe or North America. My thoughts are with them and all the people in the front line, risking their life for the vulnerable people. Good luck to yall and stay safe
I think the weekend’s scenes of crowding in Snowdonia is really a case of people thinking “lets have one last weekend getaway before we get locked indoors for the foreseeable future”. I think for many people who haven’t yet been directly affected by this disease, the whole notion of being forced indoors by a virus is just a weird concept. It’s all happening so quickly and I think it’s just taken a bit of time for the seriousness of this pandemic to really sink in for some people. That’s not to say their ignorance should be defended, but I don’t think there’s malice in those people’s actions.
I think it would be useful for the Prime Minister to address the nation again and tell us exactly how effective these social distancing measures will be and why they are so important. The numbers are quite compelling.
Panic buying, on the other hand, is just the worst. It was so sad to see a nurse in tears when she went shopping after her shift only to find nothing on the shelves. The sheep mentality is so evident. I saw on the news a guy being interviewed after a shopping trip. He was complaining about the frantic panic buying that was happening, and when asked if he had bought extra items, he said “honestly, yes, but only because everyone else was”.
But as @JBlanks said, it’s important to acknowledge the good things that people are doing too. I live in West London, and all around here the community is coming together and offering their help to those who need it with shopping trips etc. I also saw some interesting ways people are coming together socially with online parties. I think mental health is going to be a problem, and we need to look after each other. Hopefully, once everyone comes to terms with these restrictions, more evidence of goodness in people will come back.
I agree, I see little point in sneering at an entire nation. Most of us have buckled down and got on with it like people have in other countries. Some people ignore advice because of arrogance, some out of stubbornness and others because they must be stupid! But! A call for NHS volunteers has resulted in 170,000 people registering to help others in need. Please don’t paint the whole nation in this way Graham, I don’t like it, and it’s not very fair.