As we are in the middle of a global pandemic due to the Covid-19 Coronavirus strain hitting our shores, my social media feed has been inundated with a variety of posts about it, ranging from updates on the number of cases, what to do to prevent the spread, to humorous memes to lighten everybody’s mood.
But, among all of these, I have also found a few alarming and shocking ones, resulting in me only being able to shake my head in disbelief, as I did not have the words to describe what I was feeling.
As will always be the case in times of need, entrepreneurs will surface, trying to meet the demands created by the fear and panic of people faced with an uncertain situation as this, which, in itself is not why I am shocked or appalled.
I have heard horror stories of people acting as healthcare workers, driving around in the streets, going door to door and offering home-testing. This might sound amazing, as most of us do not necessarily want to go to the doctor’s rooms and risk being infected, but, instead of receiving this promised test, these opportunists gain entry to the unsuspecting persons’ home only to rob them of their valuables.
There have also been rumours of people driving around and claiming to be sent by the Reserve Bank. They say that the virus lives on your money, so, to ensure you are not infected, they advise you to hand over your money to them. They give you a receipt, saying you can get your money back from the Reserve Bank when this is over. And, even though this might sound a bit far-fetched to you and me, there will be some panic-stricken, uncertain citizens believing this lie and losing their hard-earned money.
But, this is not where it stops. People are cashing in on the shortage of hand sanitizers and masks created by those who went on a panic-shopping spree, and bought everything from the shelves. I have seen these items being advertised for as much as R100 for 50ml (sanitizers) and R1 000 for a box of 50 (masks). I have also seen people advertising ‘home-test kits’ for a ridiculous price, all in the name of making a quick buck.
And I do not even want to talk about the hordes of people rushing off to the shops and emptying out the shelves, resulting in the rest of the country not being able to find a toilet roll, bar of soap or a tub of ice cream.
We all know that desperate times call for desperate measures, but does it have to be at the cost of others? Do we have to exploit each other in this way in a time when we are all worried, stressed and uncertain of what is going to happen next? Maybe the coronavirus is not the thing we have to fear, but the cunning, greed and slyness of our fellow humans.
Until next week, stay safe and look out for each other.
