A cystic fibrosis sufferer was shamed for wearing a mask in her local supermarket despite everyone around her panic buying loo roll and pasta.
Former sales assistant Chelsie Whibley, 27, was told she’d live to the age of 16 due to a suppressed immune system and lung capacity of 27 percent.
Exceeding doctor’s expectations has only been possible because of masks – the sort people are panic buying across the country.
Her architect husband Glyn, 32, uses their shared Facebook page (My CF Life) to ask the public to be more considerate – to avoid stockpiling the product and shaming others for wearing them.
Chelsie said: “I want to say to people, don’t jump to the assumption that we’re crazy.
“For people with cystic fibrosis, the smallest cold or bug could be an extreme threat to their lives.
“I have to be so careful – my health takes up so much more of my time than it did when I was a child.”
Outside a Waterlooville supermarket Chelsie claims shoppers stared, laughed and took photos of her in a mask.
She thinks shoppers thought it was a hysteric response to coronavirus.
In one post on their page Glyn wrote: “Can everybody just think a little bit more…there are other things going on other than coronavirus and not everyone had a strong immune system that can cope with everyday life.
“If you see someone wearing a mask, be nice to them, they likely already feel uncomfortable about people looking at them…they are not a freak!!”
The shaming is enough to keep Chelsie inside – but the lack of masks isn’t helping.
When in public Chelsie requires an N99 mask – the sort that has a ventilation system.
However the country’s high demand has resulted in Chelsie having to wait weeks for her masks to be delivered.
The pair are concerned that members of the public are ordering these in bulk but will discard them once the virus has passed.
“It makes me mad how much is going to be wasted and thrown away.”
“Without, how is somebody with CF meant to survive?”
Instead, the pair want the public to really consider the impact of panic buying.
Chelsie said: “The problem isn’t really what people are buying – it is the quantity.”
“People should be buying a little bit more – like doing a two and half week shop.”
“It limits the amount of time we are all outside.”
Glyn added: “What will end up happening, almost like the Film Inferno from the Da Vinci code trilogy, is that there will almost be a culling of sorts of all those who are vulnerable and elderly because the standard products they use to protect themselves are unavailable.”