Amazon is coronavirus mess: Sellers sling merch, overpriced masks

If the coronavirus wasn't scary enough already, the internet is here to make it worse.

Masks are selling out like crazy, sellers are price-gouging, and — somehow, someway — people are selling awful merch tied to the deadly, rapidly spreading virus that's officially named COVID-19.

Amazon, particularly, is a nerve-racking site to visit amid the crisis.

A cursory search for a coronavirus mask or a surgical mask turns up lots of options, but they're either sold out and expected to be out of stock for weeks or they are exceptionally costly. A pack of 100 disposable masks, for instance, has about quadrupled in price over the last few weeks to $15, Wired reported. Some bulk foods appear difficult to purchase. In Italy — which is suffering through the largest European outbreak — hand sanitizer prices have reportedly skyrocketed online.

It's worth noting masks aren't even recommended unless you're actively coughing/sneezing or if you're taking care of someone who is sick. Experts do recommend washing your hands frequently — and washing your hands correctly — and avoiding touching your face.

The rush to purchase these supplies has appeared in lockstep with the stress that's overtaken people in the U.S. as the virus continues to spread throughout the world. However, an expert told Mashable that this doesn't necessarily mean people are panicking. In some ways, stocking up is a method of taking control.

"People wanting to be proactive about their well-being is not necessarily indicative of panic," said Dr. Samantha Penta, an assistant professor of emergency preparedness at the University at Albany's College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity.

Still, it can prove to be an unproductive cycle. Attempting to buy supplies online, if what you're after has already been pillaged, can ramp up anxiety. The world — which has 150 million Prime users — relies heavily on Amazon. It's odd and discomforting to see it without products. Not to mention, it's a little scary to even feel the need to parse through emergency supplies in the first place.

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A pack of masks retailing for $67 that apparently wouldn't ship for weeks. Credit: Amazon

Amazon, meanwhile, said it's working to stop merchants from taking advantage of the crisis.

"There is no place for price gouging on Amazon," an Amazon spokesperson wrote in an email to Mashable. "We are disappointed that bad actors are attempting to artificially raise prices on basic need products during a global health crisis and, in line with our long-standing policy, have recently blocked or removed tens of thousands of offers. We continue to actively monitor our store and remove offers that violate our policies."

Amazon previously sent an email warning merchants about masks that were “not in compliance” with pricing policies, according to Wired.

No doubt, it's a frightening time. There have to date been more than 83,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 2,800 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

"Do not mistake me: I am not downplaying the seriousness of the situation, or the potential for this to become a pandemic, because it has that potential," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO, on Wednesday. "Every scenario is still on the table."

Even in this time of potential crisis, some folks are trying to capitalize on the virus by selling surprisingly lighthearted merch. Asthe Vergepointed out, there are coronavirus shirts all over Amazon that look like something you'd get off a New Jersey boardwalk. The t-shirts feature pretty tasteless jokes from everything about Corona beer to "keep calm and resist coronavirus."

A sample of coronavirus shirts on Amazon. Credit: Amazon

Worse still, Amazon — like just about anywhere online — is full of information of questionable validity. It has had to remove more than 1 million products that falsely claimed they were a coronavirus cure. People are also selling books making all kinds of unproven claims like Satan or biological warfare caused the outbreak, Business Insider reported.

There have been all kinds of responses online, from these "joking" t-shirts to social media sites filled with worrying, if often questionable, information.

"I think something that’s important to drive home is that this is a consistently evolving situation," Penta said. "It’s just important to not fill the gaps with false information."

While the internet might be stressful during the coronavirus outbreak, experts have stressed it's not time for folks to panic.

"It's good to take precautions, but you don't have to live in fear." Dr. Purvi Parikh, a clinical assistant professor of pediatric infectious diseases and immunology at NYU Langone Health, told Mashable's Natasha Piñon.