14 March 2020
Yesterday was an eventful day for coronavirus preparedness in the U.S. Officials declared national, state and local emergencies, events were canceled everywhere, and public venues including schools closed through at least the end of March. U.S. testing capacity is woefully behind but there’s hope now that a coronavirus relief bill is moving quickly through the Capitol.
Meanwhile, anxious people are panic hoarding. By mid-week there was a sudden rush on toilet paper and bottled water as if preparing for a hurricane.
The Germans have an apt word for this: Hamsterkauf = “hamster” hoards in its cheeks (hamstern) + “buy” (kaufen). The hoarding hamster above is totally stuffing his cheeks despite the overabundance of dandelion leaves.
I haven’t been to the grocery store for a few days so I asked my friends what hamsterkauf looks like in Pittsburgh.
On Thursday 12 March at 5:30p John English reported, “Stopped at the Greenfield Giant Eagle for food. Toilet paper shelves are wiped clean. Paper towels were also flying off the shelves. Bottled water was limited to 4 cases per person. (I guess people never heard of water filters.)”
On Thursday 12 March at 7pm, Terry Wiezorek photographed the frozen food section at the North Hills Trader Joe’s.
On Friday 13 March at 2:30p, Sue Bodziach saw this in the Cranberry Walmart toilet paper aisle.
And on Friday 13 March at 4p, Shannon Platt found little to buy in the toilet paper aisle at Target on McKnight Road.
Hoarding. Hoarding. Hamsterkauf.
Let’s calm down.
Read more in these two articles: When will hamsterkauf become an English word? and Hamsterkauf: Germans and Austrians are panic buying due to coronavirus.
(photos of hamsters from Wikimedia Commons, store photos by Terry Wiezorek, Sue Bodziach and Shannon Platt)
Kate, thanks for this moment of levity and a new addition to our vocabulary. 🙂 At the Glenshaw Giant Eagle on Thursday morning the shelves were stocked and we didn’t see any hoarding. Of course, that was before the virus hit the fan. We did not forget our furry and feathered friends – plenty of cat food and litter box filler, and plenty of bird food. We had already started cancelling and postponing outings a few weeks ago. We will get through this.
Kate, about when will the herons be nest-building on Big Sewickley creek? Always lots of fun to go watch that.
The herons are coming back soon/now. I haven’t checked any rookeries but now it’s the time to look.
Kate, would you please post the location of a couple nearby rookeries… I’ve only seen one once and would love to experience it again
Anne Marie, there’s a rookery on an island just upstream from the Allegheny River Lock & Dam near the Turnpike Bridge, a walk from Barking Slopes. Also one you can see in the valley from the DDI headquarters parking lot. (If it’s still there.)