I was going to lay off the Coronavirus talk for a bit, but I saw this story, and it freaked me out like no other Coronavirus story has, so I had to share it...
In Japan, many shelves are empty because people are afraid there will be a shortage of toilet paper due to the Coronavirus, according to Kotaku.
Last week, rumors swirled that raw materials for toilet paper were unable to be imported to the country because of the virus. However, only 2.3 percent of Japan's toilet paper is related to Chinese manufacturers.
A rep for Japan's toilet paper industry confirms no member company is having a problem, saying, “Even if they temporarily disappear from store shelves, they can be replenished quickly.” The Japanese government is also telling citizens not to splurge on too much toilet paper.
People don't seem to be listening; Twitter users have posted videos of people stocking up on paper products. Some are selling toilet paper online for inflated prices.
This isn't the first time lack of toilet paper caused problems in Japan. In 1973, the country experienced "toilet paper riots"--including stampedes that sent people to the hospital--after Arab oil embargoes led to price-hike panic.
You don't think about it often, but what would you do without toilet paper? Seriously?! Could there be anything worse?