Costco stores around Southern California have been posting signs that they've run out of water, as staff members hand out wipes to sanitize shopping carts, and shoppers make a mad dash for Clorox wipes, all while murmurs of the spread of the coronavirus rumble through the crowds.
Some on social media have even been calling it #costcopanicbuying.
The Los Angeles County Public Health website has listed ways to prepare for the coronavirus, and having enough food and water for a few days was at the top of the list.
Since December, the coronavirus has spread from mainland China to the United States.
By Monday, six people had died in the United States, all in Washington state.
Researchers in Washington said the COVID-19 virus had been spreading for weeks, unbeknownst to residents.
A Costco in La Habra ran out of water Sunday, while a San Gabriel store was out of toilet paper, as seen by Instagram posts.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
Costco staff at the store in Alhambra said they continue to restock, and are getting shipments every few hours or so.
And it's not just Southern California. Twitter users have been posting videos and photos of "panic buying" at Hawaii stores, New York stores, and Seattle Costco locations.
Photos Show Stadiums and Arenas Sitting Empty as Coronavirus Spreads
While some are preparing, Melissa Gameros -- a mom of two young kids -- said she can only take the regular steps to keep them safe, and they have to be able to live their lives.
“You got to do your everyday thing. You can’t let it keep you from doing what you have to do,” she said.
