/var/lib/dpkg/status doesn't exist, nor does status-old, nor does status.broke

[benjabean1]

I try running sudo apt-get update:

Reading package lists... Error!
E: Could not open file /var/lib/dpkg/status - open (2: No such file or directory)
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
So I try running sudo dpkg --configure -a, and I get the same thing.

Here's the output of ls /var/lib/dpkg:

lock

I've tried searching for other posts like mine, but most of the other problems have been resolved by copying status-old or status-broke into status.