HALES CORNERS — People around Milwaukee are stockpiling some supplies like gas masks because of the coronavirus. One military surplus store said it has sold out of some items because people want to prepare.
Sherper's in Hales Corner said it sold out of gas masks on Monday.
"This used to be full of gas masks and we sold out in the last couple days," said store manager Nate Sherper.
Health officials say masks won't help if you are healthy. Instead, they say hand washing is the best thing you can do, and not panic.
"The risk to individuals from novel coronavirus right now is low. If you are healthy then in most cases you'll have a mild illness that will be like a bad cold or flu. You'll feel bad for a few days but you will recover," said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams.
Health leaders and the American Red Cross say be prepared like you would for any unexpected emergency or disaster. Sherper's said a lot of their customers are also focused on re-filling their emergency kits with freezed dried food, camping stoves to boil water and containers to hold it. Customer, Jason Wargolet, said he picked up a few more staples.
"Some more rice and stuff to add to my stocks. And some additional items to bulk up a little bit," said Wargolet. "Basic preparedness."
For a complete list of how you can prepare according to the American Red Cross, click here.
