Coronavirus (aka COVID-19) is a virus started in Wuhan, China, and is now a pandemic spreading around the globe, infecting thousands of people.

People are going crazy like it’s the end of the world, so here are a few things you should not do during the coronavirus outbreak.

Do not panic

Panicking is the worst thing to do during any epidemic or pandemic. Panicking only makes you fear more of getting the virus, and fear makes people dumb.

You might ask, how does fear make you dumb? Well, let’s say you’re watching a horror movie, and after you finish the movie, you get scared that the ghost will come after you when you know it’s not real.

Another thing to keep in mind is to not believe everything on the internet. False information is all over the internet to cause panic among the people. Do not believe information from unknown sources. Only believe information from reliable sources or professionals.

Panicking makes you do dumb things, which brings us to the next thing you shouldn’t do.

Do not hoard face masks, toilet paper, or other items

As you might know, YouTubers are stocking up on toilet paper and face masks on the internet as a joke. This might look funny and you might do it too because it’s “trendy”. But do not hoard face masks and toilet paper. It might be funny to you, but people that actually need it do not have access to it.

Face masks should be saved for nurses/doctors that are taking care of patients and sick people.

Avoid social gathering

During the coronavirus outbreak, avoid social gatherings as much as you can, and stay home if you can. This is because the more people you meet, the more likely you will come into contact with someone who has the virus. Social gatherings are one of the most common ways a virus spreads.

If you have any kind of symptoms (e.g fever, cough, difficulty breathing), visit the doctor right away and stay home.

Do not be racist against Asian people

Many people blame the coronavirus on Chinese people or even Asian people in general. This is not right; just because the coronavirus started in China, it doesn’t mean all Asians “carry” the coronavirus.

Being racist or avoiding Asian people can’t help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Instead, you should stay home, keep your hygiene up, and be well-informed by reliable sources to stop the pandemic.