Is it media hype or are things selling out and what?

[Mcgieml3]

What are people not able to get or is it all fine where you are?

Apparently the loo roll thing happened in Aus too... odd 🤔

I though oh it's all hype so went off to Wilko for hand sanitizer ( always like to have it in my bag) and there was none!! No handwash either same with other local shops. I need to do a big shop tomorrow I hope it's not the same with other items this is ridiculous.

Where I am it was ok until 2 days ago (bar hand gel).

Had to go again today because I'd forgotten a couple of items and it was very different.

Items depleted:

• loo roll
• bleach
• basically any cleaning product claiming to be anti bacterial (it's a virus duh...)
• vitamin c tablets
• pasta/rice
• baked beans/tinned tomatoes
• hand soap
• UHT milk
• paracetamol

As I was in the isle for soap (was actually getting shampoo on the opposite shelf) an employee brought out a carton of Carex hand soap. She couldn't physically stack them on the shelf quicker than they were being picked up. Took less than an minute and they were gone. Some people taking 2/3/4 bottles . No scrum just very quick hands. Madness.

Tinned mackerel in tomato sauce!

No loo roll in my local Asda (greater Manchester), no bread flour or quick yeast (can totally appreciate the need to make bread if you can’t leave the house). Painkillers low but still quite a few, helped I guess by 2 pack limit. Everything else seemed fine (no hand gel, obvs, that sold out over a week ago).

I’ve found the loo roll fixation odd. Loo roll is not an essential.

Diarrhoea can be one of the early symptoms of coronavirus.

Fine here in NE Derbyshire. Morrison's was quiet, full shelves, a bit low on liquid soaps, I didn't look for hand sanitiser. I was doing a big shop, but got everything I needed.

I'm in Yorkshire and everything is selling out here the shelves were bare in Asda

Supermarkets I've been in are out of hand gel and hand wash and running low on painkillers, toilet rolls etc. We went to a retail park which is usually manic on a Saturday but it was so quiet. They had loads of the items in Boots, The Range, Wilko. Only thing they didn't have anywhere was hand gel.

I'm east central Scotland & the only thing running low in my local Tesco last night were eggs

All my local coop doesn't have is hand sanitiser and detol. Although the detol was on a bogof offer so that probably explains that! There was loo roll and pasta!

I'm in West Yorkshire

While you could get away without loo roll, I wouldn't fancy having to shower my arse if I am unwell. I overstock loo roll anyway. I have a fear of running out so I usually have a few packs in.

3 cases in my town
Online shop delivered this morning with no substitutions.
When finalising my order last night they had no bumper 24 toilet roll pack of any brand. Plenty of 12 roll packs.
Hand gel has been out of stock for week along with many brands of handwash.

Where I live there is hardly any loo roll, no hand sanitiser and only expensive liquid soap.

There is lots of hand soap and shower gel, plenty of ibuprofen and paracetamol.
Aldi had no tissues and very few sanitary towels so DD (14yo) decided to buy two packets just in case.

DHs new work laptop hasn't appeared as its made in China. We're guessing the factory's closed.

Diarrhoea can be one of the early symptoms of coronavirus.

Where have you read that? It is a respiratory virus. Nothing I have read indicates any GI signs. Even if there are, buying enough loo paper to last the next 3 years is still fucking crazy.

Just been to a massive Tesco. Shortage of toilet roll apart from the cheap own brand stuff. I reckon it had just been put out as all other types had gone.

Bleach low but still stock available. No hand wash or gels. Only own brand washing up liquid. No pasta at all.

SE London Asda near me...
Hand soap
Anti bac wipes
Multi surface cleaner
Tinned kidney beans
Tinned tomatoes
All dried pasta
Toilet roll
Frozen breaded chicken
Frozen chips
Biscuits
Antihistamines

All empty shelves.
People are going mad!

Only thing is noticed was short was soap but I only looked in Waitrose as I use their own brand unperfumed and they only have a few options at the best of times in ours. I ended up with a much nicer one than usual and am looking forward to trying it.

I didn't notice the stuff that people are saying have been cleared out because I didn't want any of them, never use hand gel, already have TP. The only thing missing was the seedy bread I like but I doubt that is anything to do with the virus.

London/Herts area.

I definitely think it’s the more affluent areas. Where I live is nice enough but I tend to shop in any of the supermarkets that are on (or just off) my route home from work and those aren’t posh. Certainly up to last night both the Aldi and Tesco were very well stocked - the usual shelves of toilet paper, soap and everything else with nobody obviously “stockpiling”.

Yet on Thursday a friend told me that that the two supermarkets she uses were both completely out of liquid soap and pasta. I assumed it was just a delivery glitch until I came on here! She lives in a very posh area and I know from conversations over the years she wouldn’t dream of shopping in a cheaper postcode or God forbid Lidl or Aldi . So obviously I didn’t insult her by offering to drop off one of my spare* Aldi hand soaps .

*Spare as in we always have a couple of extras in reserve NOT because we’ve been stockpiling.

My theory is that people saw the news headlines in Aus about the loo roll and thought it was in the UK so joined in and bought it.

Where have you read that?

Centre for disease control I.e.US equivalent of Public Health England
"Some patients have experienced gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and nausea prior to developing fever and lower respiratory tract signs and symptoms."

I’ve found the loo roll fixation odd. Loo roll is not an essential.

What else would you wipe your bum with?

I didn't say it was rational, I just assumed that was why people were buying it along with hand sanitiser, pain killers and soap.