You Might Want to Rethink

Pete Wentz says people running to their local grocery stores for toilet paper and water are not just screwing themselves (and others) ... they're also not thinking ahead.

The Fall Out Boy bassist gave us his take on the chaos surrounding coronavirus lately -- including folks stockpiling crucial supplies and clearing shelves in utter panic -- and he breaks it down like this ... TP and agua ain't the end all be all, long-lasting grub is.

Check out his explanation here, 'cause it's pretty interesting. He tells us folks should be stocking up on canned goods and food that they can munch on in, say, a month from now ... because that's what'll keep people going in the long run. Not, a 6-pack of Charmin Ultra.

He also says the frenzied public are doing nobody any favors by buying up a massive supply of stuff he says people need right now. In short, take what you need and that's it.

One last thing ... we ask Pete about people snapping up guns amid the pandemonium too, and he says it makes sense. Scared people do scary things, apparently.

The coronavirus has triggered the panicked to seek underground shelter and ride out the global pandemic ... but that -- plus the air they breathe -- may cost them MILLIONS.

TMZ spoke with some of the best bunker retailers in the biz, and they tell us business is usually slow this time of year but the coronavirus has business booming.

The folks over at Rising S -- their glitzy shelters range from 50k to a million bucks -- tell TMZ in just the last couple of weeks, they've had around 1,000 inquiries, with a bunch that resulted in sales for their super-custom underground shelters. Specifically, we're told Rising S was asked if their unique safe space can protect them from the ever-spreading coronavirus. The short answer? To a degree.

We're told Rising S -- whose backlog increased exponentially from 2 weeks to 2 months in the wake of the exploding crisis -- can supply, at an extra cost, non-perishable food and medical supplies. And, for those who plunk down a pretty penny, there are free perks -- customers will get a 5-gallon hand sanitizer (made by Rising S), masks, rubber gloves and bleach.

One of the most insane and lucrative purchase orders Rising S has recently received actually came from Japan ... when a customer bought around 1,000 air filtration systems 2 weeks ago for a whopping price tag of $3 million. But, most of Rising S's customers are in the U.S.

Over at Vivos Underground Survival Shelters, reps tell TMZ ... sales at the moment are up over 400%. Much so ... we're told potential customers are visiting Vivos Underground Survival Shelter's site in South Dakota and leasing bunkers.

It’s a grave rush.

It's a little dark, but some people are planning for eternity in the wake of the coronavirus.

Hollywood Forever Cemetery has been barraged by death-obsessed customers apparently panicked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Never seen anything like this before. It’s crazy,” co-founder Yogu Kanthiah told us.

Kanthiah says customers are dropping wads to buy pre-death plots and secure a spot at Hollywood Forever’s bucolic grounds -- where more than 200 celebs are resting in peace.

Arguably, these premortem purchases may be a tad premature. But, maybe not.

“It’s similar to people going to Costco -- they don’t need all the toilet paper and sanitizer, but they’re buying it anyway,” Kanthiah said.

Take heed… if you’re aiming to get interred or cremated at Hollywood Forever near legends like Judy Garland or punk god Johnny Ramone, it will set you back a handsome sum.

For a crypt in this dirt, it costs around $7,000 and balloons to $19,000 for a prime position in the cemetery’s VIP section along the lakeside property, aptly named Garden of Legends.

Supercuts is seeing its bottom-line cut to shreds by the coronavirus pandemic ... because folks just ain't sitting down in barber chairs anymore.

The number of customers at several Supercuts locations are down a whopping 60 to 80 percent in the past couple days ... this according to several Supercuts managers, who tell TMZ the lack of traffic is gonna force them to cut down on shifts for hairstylists.

The absence of customers is so devastating, a barber at one location tells us they only had 3 customers during Thursday's 6-hour shift.

Obviously, the lack of business comes as fears mount over the spread of the virus and folks are faced with a new daily reality.

Some Supercuts are part of Regis Corporation -- others are franchised -- and the managers under the Regis Corp. umbrella tell us their storefronts are being supplied with extra hand sanitizer for those brave souls still coming through for a cut.

The precautions don't end there ... the same managers tell us their stores are sanitizing everything between each haircut, which are few and far between.

Starbucks -- a place millions of Americans rely on for free wireless as much as coffee -- is now considering shutting down in-store operations due to the coronavirus.

Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson penned a letter to customers outlining how it plans to combat the spread of the coronavirus -- and says they "may adapt the store experience by limiting seating to improve social distancing, enable mobile order-only scenarios for pickup via the Starbucks App or delivery via Uber Eats, or in some cases only the Drive Thru will be open."

The coffee giant says that as a last resort it could shut down the store all together "if we feel it is in the best interest of our customers and partners."

These are precautionary steps in addition to increased cleaning and sanitizing procedures for its thousands of stores. For the record, Starbucks says it's currently maintaining regular operations across the U.S. and Canada, and will modify operations on a community-by-community and store-by-store basis.

Starbucks choosing to take extreme measures is not surprising ... considering the NBA, MLS, NHL, MLB and a slew of other corporations have shut down regular operations during the health crisis.

As we told you ... America's biggest buffet restaurant chains are staying open, for now, but rolling out new hygiene measures.

Buffet-goers in Vegas are outta luck because of coronavirus, but family-style feasters everywhere else in the good ol' U.S. of A. can still get their fix ... for now anyway.

Four of the biggest buffet restaurant chains in the country tell TMZ they have no plans to close up shop amid what is now a global pandemic -- but they're not blind to the concerns about COVID-19. Meaning, they're taking new precautions.

For instance, Golden Corral says it's installed multiple new hand sanitizer stations in most, if not all, of its 500 locations -- and workers are now on a different kinda clock.

A rep tells us GC employees have been instructed to wash their hands a minimum of every 20 minutes, or between tasks. They're also wiping down all guest touchpoint areas every half hour.

The ever-familiar HomeTown, Old Country and Ryan's buffet chains are also following that spic-and-span approach. A rep for Ovation Brands -- which owns and operates all 3 -- says they're going hog wild on the cleaning and sanitizing as well.

Interestingly, Ovation says the reason it's not panicking just yet is because most of their customers are homegrown in the U.S., and not from overseas. That theory seems flawed, though, since there's no telling where those customers have traveled recently.

We're told if things change over the next few weeks -- and it seems obvious they will -- Ovation says it'll reevaluate.

Dr. Phil says folks who constantly fear getting sick are probably more at risk to contract coronavirus than the average Joe ... but not because of the virus itself.

The good doc came on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to talk about what's now a global pandemic and its effect on hypochondria. First off, he dropped some knowledge ... it's now called illness anxiety disorder, and he says people suffering from it are in "their perfect storm."

Phil says the wall-to-wall media coverage of coronavirus not only affirms their worst fears, it actually exacerbates the problem. Watch the clip ... he explains why their immune systems could be compromised by the panic.

Howie Mandel -- who's not a hypochondriac, but famously a germophobe -- showed up for 'AGT' Tuesday looking like most folks with illness anxiety disorder probably feel right about now.

Even more bad news ... Dr. Phil says it's near impossible now to convince them things aren't as bad as they seem.

WWE stud Angel Garza clearly doesn't care ONE BIT about possibly contracting COVID-19 ... the wrestler kissed a fan at an event Monday, and said afterward he doesn't believe in the virus!!

Garza -- who wrestles with a "ladies man" shtick -- was walking out for his RAW match at Capital One Arena in D.C. ... when he found a lady friend on the railing.

Coronavirus concerns be damned ... the 27-year-old let her touch his face TWICE -- and then he leaned in and gave her a big smooch on the cheek!!

Of course, that's become a huge no-no in today's sports world ... because thousands of people have been affected by Coronavirus and more and more are being infected daily.

But, Garza took to Twitter on Tuesday to explain his actions, saying in Spanish, "Coronavirus does NOT exist everything is in the mind."

Garza might be taking the whole situation as a joke ... but WWE officials certainly aren't -- they say they're monitoring the situation closely when it comes to next month's Wrestlemania event in Tampa.

Yeah, competing in the Olympics without fans would be weird -- but it's not a crazy idea ... this according to track legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee who says, "it would be just like practicing."

"I hope it doesn't come to that, but I also want our nation and our world to be safe," JJK told us in New York City.

Of course, everyone is freaking out about the coronavirus -- and multiple major pro sports organizations are kicking around the idea of banning fans from attending events in person.

With the 2020 Olympic Games just around the corner in Tokyo, people are wondering if there will be a no-fan policy there as well.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee tells us the athletes should try their best to stay focused on training -- despite global panic.

"I'm sure our Olympic hopefuls and Olympians are training hard. And, it's out of their control. But, the most important thing is safety for the world."

LeBron James recently said if the NBA bans fans, he WILL NOT play -- but it doesn't sound like Jackie is down with that plan.

Jackie is one of the greatest U.S. track and field athletes of all time -- with 3 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals on her resume.

Dr. Drew's still fired up about coronavirus -- specifically, the media's "unconscionable" role in causing a panic -- and suggests you turn to just one group for advice ... and Dr. Oz agrees.

We got both doctors outside 30 Rock in NYC Monday, and they have some interesting thoughts as the COVID-19 crisis continues to escalate. Dr. Drew insists coronavirus is being overblown -- especially compared to a normal flu season -- and even though it's a serious issue ... he says the hysteria isn't warranted.

Drew admits the virus has led to some dire, real-world consequences for his older patients and businesses across the country -- but claims that's all due to the panic, and not the virus itself.

Dr. Oz makes a compelling point about coronavirus fears -- telling us, when people are instructed not to panic but aren't given much instruction otherwise ... they panic more.

So, his instruction includes worrying about stuff you can control -- and help make sure old folks and sick patients have necessary resources to combat the virus. For instance, Oz says not loading up on masks if you're a generally healthy person would help tremendously.

Two of the top strip clubs in the country are doing their part to protect the public from COVID-19 ... and it sure beats the hell outta schlepping to Costco.

Here's the deal ... the world-famous Little Darlings in Las Vegas just announced a massive giveaway: 50,000 bottles of free hand sanitizer, one for each paying customer while supplies last.

Across the country in Tampa, Deja Vu Showgirls is giving away free face masks to the first 10,000 paying customers.

As you know ... fears over the spread of coronavirus are leading to empty shelves in all kinds of stores from coast-to-coast ... with people panic-buying masks, hand wipes, hand sanitizer, soap, toilet paper and all sorts of necessities.

So, instead of waiting in seemingly endless lines at big box stores ... you can skip the headache and pick up these in-demand items while getting a lap dance.

Yes, it's a bold display of capitalism at work -- but a pretty ingenious one. They get butts in seats, and you get precious commodities. We mean face masks and sanitizer, to be clear.

Win-win!!!