Hand sanitizer sells out as coronavirus concern spreads in Fresno. One store low on rice, beans
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Stores were selling out of hand sanitizer – and one was getting low on beans and rice – as Fresnans concerned about coronavirus stocked up on supplies.
Bottled water, wipes, face masks and toilet paper were all in demand, with many Fresno-area stores on Monday limited how much shoppers could buy.
So far, one man in Fresno County and another in Madera County have tested positive for the virus after traveling on a cruise ship.
Although there’s been no evidence of the disease spreading from person to person in the Fresno area, many shoppers weren’t taking chances.
Some Costco stores had reportedly run out of toilet paper over the weekend, although supermarkets and Target had it in stock.
But hand sanitizer was nowhere to be found.
Hand sanitizer
At the Smart & Final Extra! at Blackstone and Clinton avenues, a store designed to serve individuals and businesses like restaurants, even bulk containers of Purell priced at $29.99 were sold out.
Grocery stores and at least one Target had sold out of it, too.
Stories about how to make your own using hand sanitizer using isopropyl alcohol and aloe vera are circulating on the internet. But many stores were out of that alcohol also on Monday, including the Save Mart at Ashlan and West avenues.
Richard Chavez of Fresno was at the Target at Shaw and Marks avenues, looking for aloe vera.
Wearing a purple face mask and blue gloves, he joked that he was getting some funny looks from other shoppers. He wasn’t sick — and wanted to stay that way.
“I’m concerned about people being sick and getting me sick,” he said. “I have a grandson and I don’t want to get him sick. … People don’t know that they have it.”
Hand sanitizer is convenient, but it shouldn’t be your first choice for preventing the spread of the virus, noted Joe Prado, a spokesman for the Fresno County Department of Public Health.
“If you have a choice between hand sanitizing and washing your hands with soap, choose washing your hands with soap,” he said.
Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, recommends the Centers for Disease Control.
Not stockpiling sanitizer will also free up supplies for people in situations where they don’t have access to soap and water, Prado added.
Some stores are limiting how much customers buy of certain items.
Target, for example, was limiting customers to buying six of the items in high demand: disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, and hand and face wipes.
Though the store’s supply of toilet paper was limited, there was still plenty to go around.
Jessica Ochoa of Fresno grabbed one of the last containers of disinfecting wipes.
She’s a Fresno State student and wanted to wipe down the desks she shares with other students.
“I’m not as freaked out as some people,” she said. “Even before this, I was like that (about cleaning).”
Rice and beans
The possibility of being quarantined at home for two weeks showed up in various ways at different stores (and was presumably responsible for the run on toilet paper at Costco).
At Smart & Final, about half the shelves selling rice and beans were empty.
Certain brands of rice were sold out in containers ranging in size from two pounds to 50 pounds. Still, plenty of 20- and 50-pound bags were available, and red boxes of white Minute rice were virtually untouched.
Pinto and black beans were also in high demand.
A manager said he was was prohibited from speaking with The Bee about the shortages.
The store had signs limiting customers to four of items in high demand, including liquid hand soap, gloves, bottled water and toilet tissue.
Supplies varied depending upon the store.
While Costco seemed to be attracting worried crowds, grocery stores like the Save Mart at Ashlan and West avenues, for example, were out of hand sanitizer but had enough toilet paper and water.
The store gets shipments about every other day, said one of the front-end managers, Shaun Reitz.
“We’re selling a lot of cleaning supplies and water,” he said. “They’re just stocking up and trying to be safe.”
Expert recommendations
Although it’s always a good idea to have a supply of food and water on hand in case of an emergency, storing large amounts of supplies isn’t necessary, said Prado, of the Fresno County Department of Public Health.
“For the general public that’s not staying home, stockpiling is not necessary,” he said.
There are no major shortages of water or toilet paper, so no reason to stock up on them, he said.
Also, if you are healthy, the CDC does not recommend wearing a face mask.
“We definitely don’t want people out there unnecessarily using masks and taking a huge amount of those off the market,” Prado said. “If you’re sick, if you have a respiratory illness, you definitely want to be using a mask. Masks need to be used very efficiently at this time.”
The best things you can do to prevent spreading coronavirus are to cover your cough, wash your hands frequently and stay home if you’re sick, he said.
Also, the CDC recommends people disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using household cleaners and EPA-registered disinfectants as a preventative measure. That includes doorknobs, tables, light switches, toilets, faucets, sinks and handles.
This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 2:36 PM.
