Australians Were the World's Worst Coronavirus Hoarders, According to Report

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Gavin Butler - Vice Australia


https://i.imgur.com/hHAahCq.jpg

Australia’s overall response to the coronavirus pandemic has, on balance, been pretty good. We seem to have controlled the spread of the virus, flattened the curve, and gotten a handle on it more effectively than most other countries.

But it was our proficiency for panic buying where we really outstripped the rest of the world.

New research into the phenomenon of coronavirus-related panic buying shows that Australians were the quickest in the world to plunder supermarkets of toilet paper and canned soup, Fairfax reports. Two academics from the University of New South Wales, Mike Keane and Tim Neal, used Google search data from 54 countries between January and late April to pinpoint the scope and intensity of panic buying in response to COVID-19.

While consumers in almost every nation stockpiled goods such as toilet paper, soup, flour, rice, and pasta, Professor Keane and Dr Neal used a "panic index" to confirm that Australians took the hoarding to a particularly extreme degree.

"The experience of Australia is notable for the incredible speed and scale with which panic took hold in early March," they said. "Unlike in other countries, the escalation in panic does not appear to correspond with any significant increase in domestic COVID-19 cases."

Professor Keane and Dr Neal suggested that this surge of panic buying may have been triggered by restrictions in other countries around the world, as Australian consumers feared they might not be able to get their hand on sought-after goods and household staples.

Australian National University marketing lecturer Andrew Hughes blamed FOMO.

"Once one person misses out on something, the FOMO principle kicks in,” he said. “In this day and age, once people think they are going to miss out on something, it triggers a fear that they'll miss out on it.

"It could be an iPhone or it could be toilet paper."

[DemonGeminiX]

So that's where all the Lysol went. Jerks.

[-(

[Griffin]

Over here we called it "prepping" for years and everyone laughed.

[RBP]

Over here we called it "prepping" for years and everyone laughed.

I have been making that point/joke. The preppers have been shaking their heads like "who's the crazy fucker now, bitch?"

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Over here we called it "prepping" for years and everyone laughed.

Because 12,000 rolls of toilet paper and 50 gallons of milk that will spoil are what you need for the apocalypse? :-s

[RBP]

Because 12,000 rolls of toilet paper and 50 gallons of milk that will spoil are what you need for the apocalypse? :-s

Well that's the point. The preppers make far more sense than the panic hoaders.

[Placid]

I have enough toilet paper to wipe my arse until 2050! :lol:

I need it because of all the morons out there giving me the shits!

[lost in melb.]

we have a small outbreak in Melbourne. About 20 people got it and one death. The hoarding has started again

[Griffin]

So extended isolation and masks helped?

[Placid]

we have a small outbreak in Melbourne. About 20 people got it and one death. The hoarding has started again

Yes... saw that on the news. Panic buying is so unnecessary see we produce the TP here. When it all began, my daughter was in a bind as she was unable to get to shops because of work hours.... by the time she finished work, everything was gone.

[lost in melb.]

So extended isolation and masks helped?

Greatly. 104 deaths here

[DemonGeminiX]

Because 12,000 rolls of toilet paper and 50 gallons of milk that will spoil are what you need for the apocalypse? :-s

You don't store milk. You get powdered milk and water. And if you don't appreciate the need for toilet paper, then stop using it for 2 weeks and come back and tell us all how you're getting along without it. No holey socks allowed. :nono:

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For the uninitiated (no Lance, I don't mean you):

The point of prepping isn't entirely about the apocalypse. It's about getting through times like these when things are disrupted, supplies are scarce, but everything will eventually return back to normal. It's about being comfortable during a short period of inconvenience. It's about being prepared. In an apocalyptic SHTF WROL scenario, you're not going to be able to stay in one spot for very long. Eventually supplies will run out and survival will demand that you go out hunting and scavenging. Preppers think about junk like this, they plan for stuff like this. And that's another reason why you store guns and ammo, bows and arrows, knives, axes and a whole mess of other dangerous shit that liberals don't want you to have. Because society is not perfect, everything can collapse at any time, and this modern utopia that progressive people want you to believe could be achieved is bullshit.

By the way, for those that don't know, SHTF = shit hits the fan and wrol = without rule of law

In a SHTF WROL scenario, you have to be honest about your chances: elderly people, disabled people like me, people whose lives rely on a ton of medication and services that will suddenly go away fast will probably die. That's just the way it is. Those that don't need to rely on the modern conveniences of society to live will probably survive. You still have to compete with other survivors for resources. The world population will probably fall by 90% very quickly.

And for those that don't know the difference, prepping and hoarding aren't the same thing. Preppers gather and store supplies over long periods of time when everything's ok before a SHTF scenario. Mostly nonperishable items. Things that have long shelf life. Things that might go out of stock really quick in SHTF scenarios. It's not about the healthiest options, it's about fulfilling basic needs in times when the basic items needed to survive are scarce. They buy two or three things at once instead of just one at a time and store the extra stuff. They think about everything: food, water, medical supplies, emergency supplies in case of a nuclear fallout or a chemical attack. Supplies that may help when basic utilities go down. Taken all at once when everything's about to fall apart, and it's an impossible and a ridiculously expensive task. But gathered over long periods of time and taking under consideration all possible options (like MREs and different methods of cooking foods without electricity, seeds for growable fruits and vegetables, and the survival know how... hunting, fishing, gardening, blah, blah, blah), it's doable.

Hoarders are people that you've all already experienced. Those who make a mad dash to the stores when shit's falling apart and taking everything off the shelves and away from other consumers all at one time, creating an unnatural economic demand for the rest of the population that is impossible to fulfill. The stupid old ladies that are gonna fight for bottled water, or toilet paper, or the 50 boxes of mac and cheese. You get the picture.

The preppers had it right. And if and when things go back to normal, there will probably be a bunch of new converts to the prepping lifestyle.

There are tons of channels on youtube dedicated to prepping. Some are good, some are bad. If you want to learn more, the info's out there.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

You don't store milk. You get powdered milk and water. And if you don't appreciate the need for toilet paper, then stop using it for 2 weeks and come back and tell us all how you're getting along without it. No holey socks allowed. :nono:

https://i.imgur.com/cbDeuXj.jpg

[DemonGeminiX]

I never said hoarders were smart.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:lol: