Panic Coronavirus Hoarding Begins at Stores Across the United States

Update (March 1): Increasing fear of a Covid-19 outbreak has forced many Americans out of their homes to panic buy food at Costco stores across the country this weekend:

Mass fear of the corona virus cause people to panic and stock up on water, toilet paper and Clorox wipes at all the Costco stores. Crazy pic.twitter.com/AyDMgIzDiy

— kwolfgramm (@Pasifikisland3r) March 1, 2020

Who ya gonna call? Virus Busters! #coronavirus #COVID19 #WHO #USA #Canada #CostcoPanicBuying #Costco #panic #panicbuying pic.twitter.com/qV5hXaKZzv

— Bound Here By Evil! (@Da_Show_Stopper) March 1, 2020

Costco in Adelaide today (not my photos). All checkouts open with 40 minute wait (normally 5), lineup half the length of the building, with pallets of toilet paper flying out the door. There are only 3 confirmed cases of #coronavirus, with 2 recovered, in South Australia. pic.twitter.com/3kHPnMS1af

— Joseph Skewes (@josephskewes) March 1, 2020

Costco stores are flooded with customers buying health care items in bulk as fears of the coronavirus outbreak spread across the U.S. pic.twitter.com/3bcihAZAfL

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) March 1, 2020

Really should have done my regular Costco run last week. I’ve never seen it like this. This is a few miles north of Seattle. pic.twitter.com/QPPXOsBFGW

— Karen Weise (@KYWeise) February 29, 2020

9am at Costco in San Jose.
Workers were baffled by the lines and said it's only like this at Christmas.
Water is now gone, as is Theraflu and other basic necessities.

All I wanted to get was dog food. ???? #coronavirus #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/7SdTRKTqbB

— theRzaSays…VOTE! (@theRza2u) February 29, 2020

Panic! At the Costco pic.twitter.com/PZucTHjB4A

— smallpox man (@wuhan_tictli) February 29, 2020

I live in the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Washington State. My advice for those elsewhere – go to Costco now. Thousands of people at local stores yesterday – not where you want to be if there is a virus spreading. Glad I went a week ago.

— Brian K (@briankSEA) March 1, 2020

Honey, let's go down to Costco before it gets busy with corona virus shoppers…What the….? #Coronavirustruth #coronavirusus #SundayThoughts PLS don't fall for the 24/7 news panic. pic.twitter.com/gMo2om2MYk

— Bob WWG1WGA MAGAveteran (@pink_slips) March 1, 2020

And apparently everyone has different priorities ahead of a possible pandemic. As one person loaded up on “condoms and a big jar of coconut oil.”

I was sent to a Costco to see if people are stocking up (even though health officials say it’s not necessary) in case COVID-19 gets more serious here. This guy came out of the store with 16 boxes of condoms and a big jar of coconut oil. We all have priorities. pic.twitter.com/C3edUsgZzH

— Jill Bennett (@jillreports) February 29, 2020

* * *

The same long lines that we’ve seen in China, Japan, South Korea, and across the world as people panic buy food and health supplies have started in the US.

On Saturday, the US Surgeon General urged people to “stop buying masks,” saying on Twitter that they’re not effective in preventing the general public from catching coronavirus.

Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS!

They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!
https://t.co/UxZRwxxKL9

— U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) February 29, 2020

Despite the CDC telling everyone to calm down, alleged video of long lines pouring out of a Costco store in Brooklyn, New York, surfaced on YouTube Saturday afternoon.

This angle shows hundreds of people lined up outside of the Brooklyn Costco today in the freezing cold for a chance to load up on supplies amid virus fears.

@WFANTrades
Costco.
In Brooklyn.
8:58 this morning.
It opens at 9.
As if the damn apocalypse will be upon us by this afternoon.
?? pic.twitter.com/ut9Nblv8eV

— Sitesh Shah (@SSWfan) February 29, 2020

This comes days after we reported Hawaiians raced to Sam’s Club and Costco to panic buy food and health supplies as virus fears surge.