Never mind that Australia's toilet paper supply is plentiful, that the Singaporean has no links to the virus and that not a single passenger on the Princess cruise ship that docked in Reunion was infected.

Irrational and selfish incidents like these are likely the exception, not the rule, but an everyone-for-themselves mentality -- or each family, even each country -- appears to be growing, putting into question the world's ability to unite and slow the coronavirus' spread.

Leaders of affected nations are scrambling to seize some control of the situation. They impose restrictive measures in their countries, inject money into their economies, and promise their health systems will somehow find the extra beds, doctors and nurses they will inevitably need.

Yet there seems to be little coordination between countries to address what is by nature a global challenge.

Face masks on the production line at a Moldex-Metric factory in Walddorfhaeslach, Germany, on Thursday.

Face masks around the world are running out, as people who don't need them hoard them. The US is stockpiling them, while South Korea, Germany and Russia, among others, have banned their export, to ensure their own people have enough.

India, which makes 20% of the world's medicinal drugs by volume, has halted certain medicines from being exported. Yes, it is unable to source enough ingredients from China and can't make its usual output, but it is also likely keeping them for its own people.

Populists point the finger

This pandemic has now claimed more than 5,000 lives, infected over 150,000 people and touched every continent, save for Antarctica, as it crosses geographical borders that have politically closed.

European leaders have met several times and it was only on Tuesday that they finally announced some coordinated action. It was aimed primarily at economic stimulus, rather than devising a much-needed gameplan to slow the virus' spread across the region.

There is serious doubt that the usual economic tools will even work. During a health crisis, injecting money into economies doesn't necessarily get people spending. Consumers travel and shop less, and on the supply side, factories and businesses are closing in countries like China, Japan, South Korea and Italy.

Italy, the worst-affected country outside China, complained the EU had been too slow to help, as it desperately needed more surgical masks and ventilators for patients, which it is now relying on China to provide.

A shopper passes empty shelves usually stocked with toilet paper in Melbourne, Australia, on March 5.

EU leaders have chastized member countries for clinging to protective gear like face masks, as the 27-country bloc is supposed to be united and enjoy free trade.

The pandemic comes at a time when the world was already questioning globalization, emboldening anti-globalization arguments and the populist parties seeking greater isolation.

Italian far-right opposition leader Matteo Salvini called recently for the country to close its border.

"The infection is spreading. I want to know from the government who has come in and gone out. We have to seal our borders now," he said in a video on Facebook in late February.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday framed the outbreak as a "foreign virus," blaming Europe for failing to act quickly enough, as he announced sharp restrictions on travel from more than two dozen European countries. On Saturday the ban was extended to the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Why humans can be selfish and irrational

Much of this each-for-their-own behavior comes from humans' tendency to trust their feelings over facts, a way of thinking that is "evolutionarily ancient," according to Paul Slovic, a University of Oregon psychologist, who studies risk perception.

There are two main modes of thinking, he explains: one an intuitive sense based on feelings, the other a more rational sense based on scientific reasoning, evidence and reason. It is the intuitive mode that dominates, according to Slovic.

"In the earliest days when we were evolving, there were plenty of dangers around, and those dangers were directly experienced, they were threats that we faced directly from threatening creatures or other tribes, it was all very direct and concrete. So these reactions based on feelings were very beneficial in helping us act quickly and to recognize friend from foe, it was us against them," Slovic told CNN.

"Like if you heard a sound in the bush that might be a dangerous animal, you didn't stop to reason about what was causing the sound -- was it really a dangerous animal? -- you just accepted the fact that it sounded scary and you got out of there. You moved fast. So our survival depended on testing your emotions and behaving quickly, and acting according to those feelings."

Feelings, he said, are usually a useful guide that helps us make good decisions every day.

"It's easy, it's natural, fast -- it's a remarkable capability in our modern brain, except there are a few things it doesn't do well, and one of those things is it doesn't relate to statistics, or numbers, very well."

This is playing out in the current pandemic, he said, as most of the information received through the media and officials are of the worst cases and fatalities. We aren't computing well that the vast majority of cases are mild, even asymptomatic.

It's unsurprising that some people might feel threatened by someone who comes from Wuhan, where the virus originated, or China, or another country that is prevalent, he said, because of the way the mind works.

"It's a natural, protective response, which can be exaggerated and harmful to people who pose really a very low risk," he said.

"But it's an emotion that should be tempered by reason -- we should say, what do we know about the probability that this group of people is really going to harm us in some way? What's the severity of it? What does the data show? What does it say about the level of risk? What we see is that stigma can occur even when the risk is very low and the stigma is not warranted."

Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere A couple in Barcelona, Spain, embraces in Catalunya Square on March 15. Hide Caption 1 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere The Oculus transportation hub in New York was mostly devoid of commuters and tourists on March 15. Hide Caption 2 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere The University of Texas campus is quiet in Austin on March 29. Hide Caption 3 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere Two police officers in Moscow patrol an almost empty Red Square on March 30. Hide Caption 4 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere Mountain goats roam the quiet streets of Llandudno, Wales, on March 31. "They sometimes come to the foot of the Great Orme in March, but this year they are all wandering the streets in town as there are no cars or people," said Mark Richards of the hotel Landsdowne House. Hide Caption 5 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere In Washington, a mostly empty North Capitol Street is seen at dusk on March 31. Hide Caption 6 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere Pope Francis delivers his blessing to an empty St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on March 15. Hide Caption 7 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere This aerial photo, taken on April 5, shows an empty Guanabara Park in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Hide Caption 8 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere A lone taxi drives over a typically gridlocked highway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on April 6. Hide Caption 9 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere A man prays at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on April 6. Hide Caption 10 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere This aerial photo shows an empty street in Wuhan, China, on February 16. The novel coronavirus is believed to have started at a wildlife market in Wuhan. Hide Caption 11 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere Light traffic moves along a freeway in downtown Los Angeles on March 20. Hide Caption 12 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere London's Leadenhall Market is seen in March, a day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued a stay-at-home order for the United Kingdom. Hide Caption 13 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere Restaurant seats stand empty in Covent Garden in London on March 13. Hide Caption 14 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere A monkey crosses the road near India's Presidential Palace in New Delhi on March 22. Hide Caption 15 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere A delivery worker wearing a face mask walks at a nearly empty shopping mall in Beijing on February 27. Hide Caption 16 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere The Kaaba in the Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site, is normally surrounded by people in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. But it was nearly empty on March 6. Hide Caption 17 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere People walk along the Las Vegas Strip on March 18 after casinos were ordered to shut down. Hide Caption 18 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere The Seattle Times' newsroom is empty on March 12. Employees have been working remotely. Hide Caption 19 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere The parking lot is nearly empty at The Village shopping mall in Corte Madera, California, on March 17. Hide Caption 20 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere A single sunbather remains following the closure of Sydney's Bondi Beach on March 21. Hide Caption 21 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere Ancient Roman ruins, normally filled with tourists, are empty on March 10. All of Italy was put on lockdown as coronavirus cases continued to spread in the country. Hide Caption 22 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere An empty subway train is seen in New York on March 17. Hide Caption 23 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere A pedestrian looks at a map at the Zermatt ski resort in Switzerland on March 18. Hide Caption 24 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere The Missouri Senate chamber sits empty on March 12 after senators adjourned for the day and announced they would not reconvene in a full session until at least March 30. Hide Caption 25 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere Alianza Lima and Racing Club play a professional soccer match in an empty stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on March 12. Hide Caption 26 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere A musician plays the violin on March 17 at a train station in Kiev, Ukraine. Hide Caption 27 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere A cleric prays in an empty mosque in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 20. Hide Caption 28 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere Horses gallop past empty public stands at the Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong on February 23. Hide Caption 29 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere Just a few people are seen inside the Milan Cathedral in Milan, Italy, on March 4. It had reopened to the public after a week of closure. Hide Caption 30 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere A fan watches a professional soccer game in Grodno, Belarus, on April 10. The Belarusian Premier League was one of the few sports organizations that didn't shut down. Hide Caption 31 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere A teacher walks in an empty public school in Labastida, Spain, on March 11. Hide Caption 32 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere This aerial photo shows the empty Legend Siam theme park in Pattaya, Thailand, on March 8. Hide Caption 33 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere The reflection of conductor Mate Hamori is seen as he conducts the Danubia Orchestra without an audience at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary, on March 13. Hide Caption 34 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere Amazon's headquarters in Seattle was virtually empty on March 10. Amazon recommended employees there to work from home. Hide Caption 35 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere A road in Mumbai, India, is deserted on March 28. Hide Caption 36 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere A woman in New York walks through a lightly trafficked Times Square on March 16. Hide Caption 37 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere Empty chairs are lined up at the Vatican before the Pope's Sunday Angelus prayer was streamed via video on March 8. He later appeared briefly at the window to bless a small number of people gathered in St. Peter's Square. Hide Caption 38 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere Stacked furniture is seen inside the closed Cafe de Flore in Paris on March 15. Hide Caption 39 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere A bullfighting arena is empty on March 11 after events were suspended in South Korea's Cheongdo County. Hide Caption 40 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere Music stands are placed in front of empty audience seats at the Konzerthaus in Dortmund, Germany, on March 12. Hide Caption 41 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere A hall is empty inside a train station in Jerusalem on March 11. Hide Caption 42 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere The rotunda at the US Capitol is empty after the last tour group passed through on March 12. All public tours were suspended until the end of March. Hide Caption 43 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere The National Theatre in Prague, Czech Republic, on March 10. The Czech government banned events hosting more than 100 people. Hide Caption 44 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere The Louvre museum in Paris was shut down on March 1. Hide Caption 45 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere An empty movie theater in Kochi, India, on March 11. Hide Caption 46 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere A passenger walks in the empty check-in area of the Beijing Daxing International Airport on March 3. Hide Caption 47 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere Empty chairs are seen on a beach in Phuket, Thailand, on March 11. Hide Caption 48 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere Staff members walk inside the Venetian Macau after it closed its casino on February 5. Hide Caption 49 of 50 Photos: The coronavirus is leaving empty spaces everywhere Seats are unoccupied at a professional soccer match in Mönchengladbach, Germany, on March 11. The "ghost match" was played without fans. Hide Caption 50 of 50

Actually, stockpiling isn't always irrational

The world is not doomed quite yet. For all the examples of anti-social behavior, there has been pro-social action.

We can feel heartened by the doctors, nurses and other medical staff who are still showing up to work, often on the front lines, risking their own health for the greater good.

Cleaners are still working at offices, on trains and in schools and nurseries, doing their part in keeping people safe.

People are taking hand washing and sanitizing seriously -- the sellout of hand gels around the world is testament to that -- to prevent communal spread of the virus.

And stockpiling groceries may not be as selfish as it seems, according to techno-sociologist Zeynep Tufekci of the University of North Carolina.

Preparing for the virus "is one of the most pro-social, altruistic things you can do in response to potential disruptions of this kind," she wrote in Scientific American

She argues that being ready with grocery items at home could help stem the virus' spread, if it means not needing to go out to supermarkets and if those stocks can be shared with more vulnerable neighbors who may be less organized. Keeping in good health and getting a flu shot will help keep pressure off healthcare systems, she said.

This pro-social behavior has happened in the past. World War II may have been the worst display of humanity in modern history, but it was also a time where much of the world banded together to fight a common cause.

It involved an extraordinary marshaling of resources and sharing of information, both between individuals and countries. Soldiers were often sent to fight on foreign fronts to support allies, even in cases where their own nations were not directly under threat.

Susan Michie, a health psychologist at the University College London who specializes in behavioral change, says that most people are inclined to act in pro-social ways when faced with a threat, as long as they feel they can rely on governments and society to provide for them and treat them equally.

"The problems arise when the demand for healthcare or food or medicine exceeds the resources," she said.

"The last time in the UK felt this kind of threat was in World War II, and in fact, people were healthier than they had been for a long time -- there were rations, and distributed much more equally. People really went the extra mile to help," she said.

"It's a very good example of 'We're all in this together.' Then you were fighting a common enemy and now we are also fighting a common enemy, with this virus. We need to get that idea into the collective mentality."