It's not prudent, or cautious, it's exactly panic. People are irrationally afraid, and as a consequence are buying crazy amounts of things with little reason. Even in Wuhan the lockdown wasn't severe enough to make that type of hoarding necessary. The only common thread in discussing quarantine in the US is that Wuhan is far more drastic than would ever happen here.

Consider for instance the absolute run on bottled water; what possible explanation other than mindless panic could explain that?

> are buying crazy amounts of things with little reason

Seems like there is a good reason to buy more than usual - what constitutes "crazy amounts"?

> Consider for instance the absolute run on bottled water

Water being one of the most essential requirements for human life beyond breathable air?

There's no reasonable scenario in which the water supply is interrupted by this current flap. All this panic buying means is there will be a huge amount of unnecessary plastic waste this year.

Grocery stores don’t need to close for me to not want to visit them. I’m safe and sound at home with supplies so I don’t need to go to the store for awhile. I feel calm and prepared. The only person spinning out of control here is you.

Your panic buying to build up a supply lead to others not being able to buy what they need. Actions have externalities.

The problem with panic buying is it breeds panic.

Perhaps China forbid grocery store visits, but Italy did not and the US will not either. It’s panic, pure and simple (unless you’re in a high-risk category, then it’s simply preparing to truly isolate)

I’m 36 and I’m not worried about catching the coronavirus, I’m worried about spreading it.

As far as I'm aware people in most / all Chinese cities can go get groceries. At least that was the case in Beijing. Not sure about Wuhan itself though.

> As far as I'm aware

To what extend do you expect your awareness of what's happening in China to be accurate?

To the extend that my company has employees there and I talk to them regularly.

I expect grocery stores here to remain open but I still want to avoid going out as much as possible. So I’ve stocked up on extra food to accommodate that. It’s pretty simple, I’m not panicked, and I’m bewildered as to why this is difficult for you to grasp.

You buy a bottle of Tylenol every week? I feel sorry for your liver.

You buy a 24 roll of toilet paper every week? I feel sorry for your ... well, you know.

Those are panic buying. The other explanations aren't as charitable.