It’s fascinating to watch the hysteria that takes place whenever a pandemic strikes. Far we may be from a time when the world regularly experienced pandemics on scales exponentially larger than the current coronavirus outbreak — nonetheless, the stupor that tends to take over the daily lives of people during a crisis is an increasingly amazing phenomenon to witness.

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” — 2 Timothy 1:7

What’s first intriguing about the current crisis is the fact that stores around the globe are completely out of toilet paper. Why toilet paper? Stores aren’t out of food or water and gas stations aren’t out of gas. But good luck finding a roll of toilet paper anywhere. It’s enigmatic that of all the basic necessities in life needed, that toilet paper would be the first thing to go.

But more fascinating than that is the reaction of those people who seem to be inoperable and dysfunctional without it — so much so that, apparently, they’re dialing 911. And it’s making the police in Oregon mad.

Al Jazeera reports,

Police in the northwestern US state of Oregon have urged citizens worried about the coronavirus pandemic not to call 911 if they run out of toilet paper.

The novel coronavirus has prompted panic buying across much of the US, and overseas, with items including hand sanitizer, mineral water and toilet paper frequently disappearing from supermarket shelves.

“It’s hard to believe that we even have to post this. Do not call 9-1-1 just because you ran out of toilet paper,” wrote the Newport, Oregon police department on Facebook. “You will survive without our assistance.”

The light-hearted post did not specify how many calls police had received via the emergency number over toilet paper, but did suggest a number of alternatives – including using department store catalog pages, sponges and even corn cobs.