The announcement of the first New Zealand Covid-19 case on Friday triggered a shopping frenzy for emergency supplies at some supermarkets over the weekend, but infectious diseases expert Dr Siouxsie Wiles told Focus Live's Will Trafford people needed to react responsibly.
"We can worry but there's no need to
panic ... if we start behaving like we're in a Mad Max movie, that is not the way to go."
Although there is one confirmed case in New Zealand, Wiles said the virus isn't widespread and urged people to remain rational and look out for each other.
"What we really need to be thinking about is getting out of that fear cycle and thinking how would we protect everyone around us and how will we think about the vulnerable people in our communities.
"One of the things we need to start preparing for is the possibility that this virus does end up transmitting in the community, like it is in other countries."
Wiles said people should have a plan if they had to self-isolate for two weeks, but people didn't need to go overboard.
"The taps are not going to stop having water in them, you're not going to need your camping stove. People should be thinking about things like: do you have a pantry full of yummy things? Do you have plentiful food, pet food and litter, sanitary products, soap, medications. If you have kids, do you have two week's worth of entertainment?"
Wiles said misconceptions could be harmful and cause people to overreact.
"Fear and stigma are the things that actively work against us dealing with outbreaks of things. So we have to be really careful about the language we use, because when people panic, they tend to do things that are not in everybody's best interests.
