Posted on: 16th Mar, 2020 We at e4k are taking Corona Virus very seriously. We have cancelled all client meetings at the office and if any member of staff is ill or they are in contact with anyone that is ill, we would prefer them to be in self-isolation. Most Corona Viruses spread the same way other cold-causing viruses do, through infected people coughing and sneezing, by touching an infected person’s hands or face, or by touching things such as doorknobs that infected people have touched. Almost everyone will probably get a Coronavirus infection at least once in their life. The Global Effect. We are slowly finding out that we are all in one way or another being affected by this. Hatim, our Director, was due to fly out to India to look after our operations in our office in Coimbatore. However, on Monday, the day he was supposed to travel he decided to cancel his trip. I believe you need to look at the bigger picture. If it was safe to travel on Monday, would it have been safe to come back within the month? Also, Gerard was getting ready for his vacation. He was looking forward to 3 weeks on a cruise, from Brazil to the med, which he had booked several months ago. He had been calling everyone and anyone that would help him make a decision since last week. However, he was told there is nothing to worry about etc. Then on the eve of his leaving the Cruise got cancelled. We now are learning that European countries are closing down schools and workplaces. So we ponder are we ready to cope with this, do we believe what we are told, why do we feel it won’t happen to us? Is the World Health Organisation being transparent in what it’s telling us and are we doing enough to protect ourselves? Read more on how to beat Coronavirus. Toilet Rolls War Coronavirus concerns appear to have created an international rush for toilet paper…. YES, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? Social media has played a huge role in influencing end-users, with social media images showing low supplies in a number of countries, leading to consumers being forced to stockpile items due to the spread of the virus, despite authorities insisting it would not be necessary to do so. Read more: Panic buying of Loo rolls. Twitter: Loo Roll shortage | Facebook: Toilet Roll shortage Soap Wars Tesco, Asda & Waitrose have started rationing sales of certain items amid panic buying from coronavirus fears Restrictions have been placed on toilet paper, soap, pasta, long-life milk & antibacterial hand sanitisers – in-store or online Most grocers, including Morrisons and Sainsbury’s, have not introduced rations yet Supermarket giant Tesco has almost entirely sold out of dried pasta online and has now introduced a five-pack limit on several items, including anti-bacterial wipes, gels, and long-life milk. No other supermarket has resorted to rationing food, but the majority are now limiting anti-bacterial gels to two per customer. Morrisons is restricting sales of Cough medicines for children and hand-wash to 2 only online. One radio caller said people are not panic buying. Some people bulk buy because of health issues or financial issues. Please stop calling everyone selfish on newspapers because some people are not. They are only doing what they always do for their health needs. It is easier to bulk buy so you can focus the other time on caring. So is the media making things worse than they are? With tabloids headlines such as the following, what are we to do – VIRUS CHAOS Supermarkets’ websites struggle due to Coronavirus panic-buying DON’T PANIC Here’s how much food you need to stockpile for two weeks in self-isolation The focus will be on providing staple products, like bread and milk, rather than variety this will change the life we know. Some retailers have started stockpiling supplies of pasta, mozzarella and coffee to minimise disruption to imports from affected countries such as Italy, Spain and China. Supermarkets have also been struggling with increased demand from shoppers, with many noticing more home delivery orders and larger than usual online shopping baskets. The future is uncertain. To find out more about the coronavirus we recommend you visit: How to Beat Coronavirus.