The lady comes through with an entire big basket of groceries.

After filling the conveyor belt, I look down and say, “Excuse me, but because of shortages you can only buy one pack of ground beef.”

Her face instantaneously becomes red.

She proceeds to tell me that if she can’t buy all three packs of ground beef, she will not be spending her money in the store.

After ranting, raving and putting the items back in her basket, she leaves fuming.

This is one of many effects of the COVID-19 scare.

Greed, fear and product shortages are not a good mix.

COVID-19 also known as the coronavirus, the rona or Ms. Rona has caused widespread panic.

People, going against direst orders to avoid crowds and practice social distancing, are flocking to stores to stock up on essentials in fear that they may run out of supplies while in quarantine.

Items like toilet paper, paper towels, fresh meat and cleaning supplies have increasing demand and rapidly decreasing supply.

This is due largely to hoarding of epic proportions.

Instead of people be understanding and generous, some have resorted to hoarding.

Customers come in and simply clean out entire shelves.

People have been spotted with shopping carts stacked high with toilet paper, Clorox wipes, bleach and other similar products.

This has forced many stores to place limitations on the most essential of items.

While these limitations do well to make products last longer, they hurt large families who need far more supplies than single people who live by themselves.

While it is true that some are buying for large families, shut-in relatives or other at-risk individuals, the sad truth is that many people are simply hoarding supplies.

Others are reselling products like toilet paper at inflated prices.

They stock-pile them for their own selfish reasons. 

There is no reason that people should be panic buying everything in a grocery store.

While it is understandable for people to be scared, as this virus is so easily spread, it does not make sense to buy up the entire grocery store when there are thousands of other people who also need to buy groceries for their own families.

Please, do not be selfish during this time. Buy what you absolutely need.