I was ordered out on a military mission recently with the directive handed down from the top brass official (my wife.) The assignment was to search out and acquire ample quantities of both hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes. With Connecticut now a month-plus into a semi-catatonic lock-down state, my bride was a bit tense and becoming increasingly anxious watching our dwindling supplies.

Four big-box stores, two major supermarkets, one mom and pop shop and a near empty CVS later, I returned home a dejected, epic failure. The only comparable market-trip failure I can compare it to is when Jack traded the family cow Milky-White for some magic beans.

While seeking the bounty my betrothed requested, I made sure to socially distance myself from everyone. I walked the right way down the one-way aisles and adamantly and thoroughly wiped down everything I touched. Even before this outbreak, I considered myself a Type-1 personality. I never willingly touched a doorknob; hated shaking strangers’ hands; and might be seen diving for cover if someone in the vicinity openly sneezed.

And now, citizens at large have surged forward in panic, leapfrogging all of us former germaphobe freaks, creating a super race of hyper-microorganism-killing pathogen terminators.

While on my wife’s assignment in futility, I conservatively estimate 70% of the shoppers were donned in complete coronavirus apparel, consisting of surgical gloves and medical-grade face masks. The real serious players came equipped with an N95 that blocks splashes, sprays, and large droplets – a piece of sophisticated, bio-hazard-grade equipment that can also filter out 95% of the minute particles that include viruses and bacteria.

Many patrons had customized masks to perfectly fit their personality characteristics. One hefty husband embraced his inner Captain America, covering his face with emphatic patriotism proudly displaying America’s Stars and Stripes. A middle-aged woman — clearly unable to find the fruits and vegetable section of this supermarket, filling her carriage with succulent necessities ranging from Ring-Dings to Doritos — had carefully glued cat whiskers on her medical mask, attempting to channel her inner feline. Honestly, I felt a little naked with just my ripped jeans, sweatshirt, dark sunglasses and the "FBI" skull cap separating me from certain exposure.

Post coronavirus video footage from China and other countries from the Pacific Rim display a different way of life; nearly 100% of the citizens protect themselves with face masks. And, perhaps because of the Surgeon General’s flip-flop on the idea of Americans wearing masks, it was still a shock to see that fashion statement hit the streets and stores of the U.S.A. It's one thing to see cashiers, store clerks, bank tellers or health care workers wearing masks for protection, but it may take more than a little social adjustment to get used to hardcore Harley riders, steel workers or construction personnel shopping for groceries hiding behind surgical masks.

Is this newly discovered caution here to stay? Will this be business as usual? Will we look back and reminisce about the good old days when we all crowded stadiums enjoying sporting events or concerts without concerns about plague? Is this the end of Disneyland or Six Flags? Will our new reality regard a dinner date with friends as taboo, a happy hour business gathering as simply too dangerous to entertain? Due to this stunning new biological fear, will social distancing become a permanent solution to a temporary problem?

On the bright side of all of this pandemic, pollution levels are way down in cities all over the world. The nuclear family has found itself again. Pet adoptions are through the roof. And great acts of kindness have surfaced, reinvigorating hope for humanity.

My longtime friend Mike Buscetto, who operates Filomena’s Restaurant in Waterford, is just one who deserves mention in this capacity. Recently, Mike and his crew handed out 250 meals to local families that work at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital and Pequot Health Center and another 100 meals to neighborhood cosmetologists who live in East Lyme, Waterford and New London.

And a round of applause should be showered on former gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski and his wife Amy, Patrick Sasser (from Notollsct.org) and Deputy House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora. They teamed together to procure and deliver 600,000 masks to 140 towns and cities, including 160 nursing homes — and they’re still going strong collecting and delivering more masks.

There are thousands of accounts of such anonymous acts of heroism across the country and world that prove, even in the shadows of a tragedy, sometimes humankind gets it right.

Lee Elci is the morning host for 94.9 News Now radio, a station that provides "Stimulating Talk" with a conservative bent.

Editor's note: This column was updated to correct a name spelling.