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Key Words: People are being jerks during the coronavirus pandemic — and there’s a new word to describe them

Buying every roll of toilet paper in sight? Enjoying beer pong on your favorite spring break beach? Can’t be bothered to wash your hands or cover up when you cough or sneeze?

Then you just might be a:

‘Covidiot.’

The term has emerged as a catchall for those misbehaving during the coronavirus pandemic. The Urban Dictionary enlightened us with this “official” definition

In recent days, “covidiot” has blown up as a trending topic on Twitter TWTR, -0.75%  , where qualifying images and videos from around the U.S. were shared — and mostly condemned:

The run on toilet paper has been a constant theme during the outbreak:

This guy quickly became the media’s poster child for irresponsible behavior:

But he wasn’t alone. Florida was packed with beach goers committed to their vacations:

It wasn’t just Florida, of course. This is what Southern California looked like this weekend, even after Gov. Gavin Newsom urged all state residents to “shelter in place”:

Meanwhile, the numbers are surging. In the U.S., there are now 26,747 diagnosed cases and 340 deaths, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University. Globally, there are 315,992 cases with at least 13,589 deaths. More than 94,176 people have recovered.

So, here’s a direct message to the covidiots from the front lines:

Read: Will coronavirus survive airborne? How long does it last on surfaces? Are men more likely to die? Burning questions on COVID-19

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