*Updated as of March 9, 2020, 6:30 pm 26 people have died from coronavirus, NBC News is reporting.*
“It’s kind of frustrating when you go to the store and can’t buy any toilet paper,” said Judy Nelson, Rogue River resident.
“It’s nothing to be too much worried about,” said Brent Town.
With 600 confirmed cases and 26 people dead across the country, there’s no question novel coronavirus is spreading daily.
“Just wondering why all of sudden this one is such a huge concern,” said Nelson.
“Everybody’s going overboard on that,” said Town.
Overboard is a sentiment shared by many and yet major retailers like Costco, Fred Meyer, and Target are selling out of all sorts of things.
“We don’t really know this virus and we don’t know what it’s going to look like,” said Adrienne Miller, psychotherapist.
Miller says people are anxious because they feel there’s nothing they can do.
“Normally our response to anxiety is a fight or flight and, in this case, we really can’t fight and we really can’t run,” she said.
That loss of control, Miller says, can feel paralyzing.
Fears of self-quarantine or staying home from work for an extended period of time can lead to people to buy things in a panic.
“Fear that they will run out or fear they will run out when things get bad because we don’t know how long this is going to last. Nobody is telling us it’s going to be fine by June,” she said.
But Miller says there’s a point where a reaction can go too far and paranoia clouds our judgment.
“We tend to exaggerate risk, so what I would love is for everyone to stay calm [and] do the things that are important to them,” said Miller.
She says not being paranoid doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be proactive and concentrate on the things you can do.
“Get the things that are absolutely necessary, this isn’t a time to be hoarding supplies,” she said. “This is just the way it is and we will survive it.”
If you have kids, Miller suggests you talk with them about the virus because they’re likely in school hearing something scary is happening.
She says you can even make a game out of how to wash their hands for 20 seconds.
Getting the right information about coronavirus can also ease your anxiety.
You can call 211, to have your questions answered from the Oregon Health Authority.
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