How Reston Residents Are Dealing With The Coronavirus

RESTON, VA — After days and days of news reports and warnings about the new coronavirus and constant updates about what's open and closed or what you need to do or stock up on, we're now all in it. We're living in the new coronavirus — also called COVID-19 — reality.

To quote Douglas Adams: Don't Panic. Reston residents are going to get through this.

In that spirit, we asked Restonians on Facebook and in our Neighbor posts to tell us what they're seeing out there in the retail spaces. Are there long lines? Was there enough toilet paper, milk, and cleaning products available?

The responses we received were not all about shortages of toilet paper or long lines. Jeanette Hilbish Thomas had some useful information about the coronavirus to share.

"FYI, coronaviruses are sheathed in lipids, which means that the best way to kill them remains ordinary soap, a product specifically engineered to dissolve lipids," she said. "Some of the other products people are mentioning here (like hand sanitizer) are optimized for killing bacteria, not viruses. Better than nothing, but ordinary soap (hand soap, dish soap, laundry soap, etc.) is the tool you want for this job."

Likewise, Pat Gordon-Rice had a great suggestion to for preventing the spread of COVID-19 at another place everyone visits: "I suggest gas stations start using attendants again. Only one person touching the pump handles."

Ray Madonna shared that he was out searching for chicken broth because he and his child were sick — but not with COVID-19. He had some choice words for people hoarding, which made it difficult for him to get what he needed.

But many of the comments provide insight on what we may expect in the coming days as we ride this out together:

• Alex Nangle: As far as food goes, Trader Joe's was wiped out last night, but lots of stuff at Sprouts — barely a line there.
• Nadia J. Gordon: Giant, Harris Teeter,Trader Joe’s have loads of toilet paper & water since people are stocking on those — I didn’t find Lysol or any other disinfectant in any — Giant & Harris Teeter have Dial Hand Soap — I haven’t ventured beyond those 3 Cos. I do not want to wait in long lines with masses of people.
• Cindi Allen McLean: I just went to Costco to buy my normal groceries. No hoarding was planned. The checkout line was all the way to the back aisle and every cart was full. Insane.
• Hanna EW: Costco in Sterling out of cleaning and paper products.
• Carole Robertson-Fenn: Wow. Glad I stocked up a bit before. Happy to share as needed.
• Sonya Amartey: Walmart was out of paper towels, toilet tissue and cleaning supplies.
• Jasy Donald: Giant, Harris Teeter and Sprout out of hand sanitizers.
• Steven Totaro: Harris Teeter was completely out of cheese when I went yesterday.

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