First it was Rolls … Then it was Rats

Remember Toilet Paper Madness? Is it ‘Must-Have’ RATS Now?

Back in 2021 there were fights over toilet papers when COVID madness first showed itself in the early public recognition of COVID realities. Do you remember those times?

Like a tsunami wave, the need to stock up and even hoard toilet rolls became unstoppable. Even when the Supermarkets put up restricted purchase signs it didn’t stop … and people were seen on the evening news bulletins, fighting each other for a packet of toilet rolls! If you weren’t there, you won’t believe it … but it really did happen.

To use one of my favorite sayings: “People can be people”.

Of course it stopped when there were no more rolls left … And, as is always the case realistic sanity eventually settled in. Things started to improve; supplies began to be replenished; and people realized that there was no need to panic after all!

Hello and welcome to another COVID article. But this one is more of an opinion piece rather that a serious scientific analysis, so instead of adding it to my series of COVID Bulletins*, it will stand alone as a separate opinion piece. * There’s a link to my COVID Bulletin Collection at the end of this article.

Back to toilet rolls: Perhaps the best thing learned from toilet-roll-time was that it did nothing to minimize or reduce COVID. The desire to stock-up on toilet rolls didn’t have any effect on its presence, its treatment, or its eradication. At the same time though, we did get a fuller appreciation of the role of health workers, researchers, and government attempts to control and defeat COVID.

Toilet Rolls were a sort-of Red Herrings ... perhaps the first of their kind during this pandemic — summed up with the words: ‘ People and Panic’ But wait, there’s more! … Another Red Herring emerged, but this one was more serious ... it was the emergence a new aid for tracking COVID.

But this time, it wasn’t just the Supermarkets being affected by a new urge for people to ‘get some of this new essential’. It affected Pharmacies (Drug-Stores), and more importantly COVID Processing Centers (especially the laboratories dealing with analyses of COVID test samples). They couldn’t do their job as quickly and efficiently as they needed to, and as a result, health systems and planners were hampered.

So, what is was that new Red Herring? The new Red Herring was a RAT ... more accurately: Rapid Antigen Tests.

Just as toilet rolls were thought to be essential purchases, and people started to hoard them, so Rapid Antigen Test Kits were being sought in order to ‘have one ready’ … “Might as well have a few, stocked and handy” seemed to be the mentality of many.

Now don’t get me wrong … R.A.Ts are not like toilet rolls as far as COVID is concerned. Rapid Antigen Tests are part of the armory that’s now used to help understand and control COVID. They are used as an initial indicator for the possible presence of COVID and they help governments and their health authorities to get a better understanding of what’s going on in the community and thus better able to allocate precious hospital services.

R.A.Ts are good in this context, and several governments have asked people to test themselves with a R.A.T. if they feel any symptoms coming on. Some state authorities in my country … Australia … even said:

“If you get a positive result, report yourself ! or we’ll hit with a hefty fine”.

I don’t think there were queues of willing and enthusiastic fine-payers!

The above reality check probably includes a minor weakness regarding the public’s readiness to comply and assist, though effective self-testing and proper follow-up is of course, a great help if there’s enough. A ‘positive’ person will then be able to self-isolate, and, if COVID symptoms remain mild, they will have truly helped to alleviate the pressure on hospitals etc.

An Added Addition to the COVID armory: In mid-2022, anti-viral pills came on the market in USA and other countries too. They are an addition to our COVID weaponry. Available only after a proper PCR test has confirmed an initial RAT positive, but for those immuno-suppressed folk, &/or the elderly, they’re a valuable extra help.

Maybe then, it’s a good (really good) thing to have R.A.Ts. Well, yes it is, but does that explain the rush to buy as many as you can lay your hands on?

What was it that lead so many people to seek and buy and hoard R.A.T. kits early on? I suspect that it’s got something to do with the idea that if you have a R.A.T on-hand, you are somehow more protected against COVID.

Of course, nothing could be further from the truth.

Finally … the promised link to my historic series of COVID Bulletins: COVID Bulletins Nos. 1–11 ... Here it is:

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“First it was Rolls … Now it’s Rats” is written by Fred: writer on Medium * * * * * © Fred Ogden 2022 * * * * *

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