AIBU to think this is incredibly wasteful, hysterical and doesn’t make sense anyway?!

[Dennisreynoldsduster]

I’ll caveat this by saying I have experience with anxiety and have been anxious about the media frenzy and increasingly disturbing videos/info coming out of China regarding coronavirus.
So I’m not belittling anxiety.

However my friend informed me today that shes been to Costco and bought toothbrushes in bulk and is using a NEW toothbrush every time she cleans her teeth to avoid “bacteria” on the brush because of coronavirus.
She doesn’t seem to be introducing other precautions such as washing her hands more, antibac gel or whatever, this seems to be the summation of her efforts.

It’s batshit right? It’s not just me? I was so astonished I couldn’t quite articulate my argument as to why this will make no difference at all other than to point out that it makes no sense!

Dennisreynoldsduster you're not a bad friend posting on the internet to get clarity, after all I am sure you are just as concerned about the virus as your friend, but not wanting to panic. To me you seem only to be reacting to your friend's somewhat bewildering actions, by seeking perspective from others. YANBU at all. I hope your friend will realise sooner or later, and chill out, and you can laugh it off, after all, even the best of us will make flawed decisions at some stage.

It makes absolutely no sense. But people are scared.

Does he use a different bathroom every day? Why can’t he just stick to one bathroom

Yes surely in a house with FIVE bathrooms the obvious thing to do would be to give him his own bathroom that only he uses to reduce this ridiculous wastefulness somewhat. If he never uses any of the other bathrooms normal bathmat use can resume.

At least the residents of your town have a source of like new bathmats at the local charity shop.

Oh missed your update, but at least give them to another charity if the hedgehog sanctuary doesn't need them.

She is a twat. That is incredibly wasteful.

Running that sounds hard to live with and could mean things get very difficult for you all during this pandemic. Sending you good wishes for managing the next few weeks as I am sure you are carrying a lot of the strain of keeping things normal in your household