Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, millions and millions of people in the US have been panicking for their lives. People have been preparing for the worst and their initial thought is to go buy toilet paper.       

         It’s unusual at first to think that people have the desire to stack up with toilet paper during a pandemic like this, but they can be doing this for many reasons. Do people feel that we will be stuck at home and just want to have everything just in case? This is the essential question that most people are wondering about the shortage of toilet paper in stores. 

        According to Fox Business, “Not just the bare shelves where hand sanitizer and cleansing wipes were plentiful only a few weeks ago, but the empty aisles where toilet paper usually abounds in quantities from single rolls to packages of more than a dozen.” They went on to explain how people may just be worried about a mandatory quarantine and that is why everyone is preparing. Fox Business stated, “Many are watching what’s happening in Europe and clinging to their own knowledge on how to best prepare for a mass quarantine. Although the United States has said it wouldn’t consider such a measure, people still believe it’s a real possibility.”

         Senior Andre Jin shared his thoughts about the Coronavirus and the toilet paper outage, “I’ve been around my family a lot more which has been nice, but I haven’t been able to get out and do things I want to do like go to the library.” Jin was asked what he believes is the reason for the toilet paper shortage, he responded, “Mass hysteria and a certain degree of selfishness, but it’s understandable in these unprecedented times.” Jin continued to say, “ I feel all goods will be impacted in some way, whether due to a change in demand or the ability to produce the good with the stay at home orders.” 

        According to The New York Post, “Viral video shows three women in a wild fight in an Australian store — sparked by a mother and her daughter hoarding toilet paper amid panic over the coronavirus.” A fight broke out at a Woolworths Supermarket in Australia where three women were seen grabbing each other, punching each other and blaming one another for starting the riot. Police had criminally charged the mother and her 23-year-old daughter while the other woman was a victim of the attack and was not charged or injured. 

        With the shortage of toilet paper in the US and around the world, people have to prepare for the worst for their safety and well being.