Toilet paper does not offer special protection against the virus. It's not considered a staple of impending emergencies, like milk and bread are. So why are people buying up rolls more quickly than they can be restocked?
Now, novel coronavirus panic buyers are snatching up ... toilet paper?Retailers in the US and Canada have started limiting the number of toilet paper packs customers can buy in one trip. Some supermarkets in the UK are sold out. Grocery stores in Australia have hired security guards to patrol customers. An Australian newspaper went so far as printing eight extra pages in a recent edition -- emergency toilet paper, the newspaper said, should Aussies run out.
"And when you see someone in the store, panic buying, that can cause a fear contagion effect." All those photos of empty shelves may lead people to believe that they must rush out and grab toilet paper while they still can. And what started as perceived scarcity becomes actual scarcity, Taylor said. Social media is a huge player in novel coronavirus fear-mongering, Taylor said. Misinformation spreads with ease, and open platforms amplify voices of panic.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Women Fight Over Toilet Paper in Australia Amid Coronavirus FearsA shortage of toilet paper has some people coming to blows in Australia amid growing fears of the coronavirus.
Read more »
Women Fight Over Toilet Paper in Australia Amid Coronavirus FearsA shortage of toilet paper has some people coming to blows in Australia amid growing fears of the coronavirus.
Read more »
Coronavirus Panic Causes Vodka Run For Homemade SanitizerThe run on toilet paper and wet wipes has nothing on seriously hard alcohol -- 'cause people fearing a full coronavirus outbreak are snatching up vodka to cook up their own sanitizer.
Read more »
The Latest: Another Italian governor contracts coronavirusOn the first day of a sweeping quarantine in northern Italy, even outdoor sites like the sprawling ruins of Pompeii were shut to tourists. In Rome, the blockbuster exhibition of 'Raffaello,' was shuttered only three days after it opened to the public.
Read more »
Coronavirus updates live: Millions quarantined in Italy as D.C reports first caseCoronavirus latest: • Italy places more than 16M people on lockdown • First case confirmed in Washington, DC; hundreds of other cases reported around US • 19 total deaths in US
Read more »
The Latest: Washington nursing home deaths could be higherBEIJING (AP) — The Latest on the coronavirus outbreak (all times local): 9:20 a.m. The number of deaths linked to coronavirus in Washington state could be even higher than the 16...
Read more »