As of Wednesday morning, the coronavirus outbreak has spread to more than 80 countries. With more than 3,000 reported cases and 100 deaths, Italy announced that schools across the nation were temporarily closing. The World Health Organization is reportedly begging countries to test more people, and faster, both to get a better handle on the outbreak and so the scope can be better understood. And in the U.S., Congress actually managed to approve an $8.3 billion emergency aid package.
Quarantines are one of the most effective ways to fight this specific outbreak, and the Centers for Disease Control advises people to self-isolate for up two weeks if they have flu-like symptoms in case it’s not the flu. Now, many Americans are preparing for possible quarantine. Online shopping has surged so much that Amazon Prime and other shippers are facing mounting delays. According to the consumer research group Nielsen, sales of hand sanitizer jumped 73 percent compared to the four-week period that ended February 22. Sales of thermometers went up 47 percent in the same time, and aerosol disinfectant, 32 percent.
But the biggest surprise is the jump in, of all things, oat milk sales People are buying oat milk 300 percent more in the last four weeks, a bigger increase than in household maintenance masks (179 percent) and medical masks (78 percent) combined. Some brands of oat milk are shelf stable, at least before opening, so it’s more pantry friendly than other non-dairy milks—and thankfully it’s got a smaller carbon footprint than dairy or almond milk. So it’s a good addition to the “pandemic pantry,” as Nielsen calls it. Similarly, sales of dried beans, fruit snacks, and energy drinks have also bounced, though only around 10 percent each.
The impact of the coronavirus outbreak is astoundingly widespread. It’s shaking the stock market and global economy, and derailing concert tours and movie filmings. Now it’s also revealing which grocery stores items Americans truly consider to be essential.
