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Why was toilet paper on the panic-buying list?

Virus Outbreak Whats Essential
Posted at 7:56 AM, Jun 15, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-15 10:56:17-04

When the coronavirus outbreak hit cleaning products and hand sanitizer became a rare find but the toilet paper shortage didn't make as much sense.

Now researchers are looking at why it was on the panic-buying list. Data was collected from the United States and across Europe. They found people with conscientious personalities were more likely to panic-buy toilet paper. That means people who are more organized and like to plan ahead.

Researchers say panic-buying is also contagious because humans often look to each other for cues on what is safe. They believe this could be what led to widespread toilet paper demand.