Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

SHOPS

Toilet paper sales in Germany soar as coronavirus numbers go up

As coronavirus cases continue to go up in Germany, the demand for some hygiene products, including toilet roll, has shot up, according to official figures.

Published: 22 October 2020 12:39 CEST

Toilet paper sales in Germany soar as coronavirus numbers go up

A sign in a Berlin shop urging people not to hoard or "hamstern". Photo: DPA

A report by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) shows that sales figures for toilet paper in Germany in the week of October 12th to 17th were almost twice as high (+89.9 percent) as the average for the pre-crisis months of August 2019 to January 2020.

Sales of disinfectants during this week were almost three quarters (+72.5 percent) above the pre-crisis average and sales of soap were almost two thirds (+62.3 percent) higher than the the pre-crisis average.

READ ALSO: Toilet paper disappears from German supermarket shelves as panic buying returns

Demand for disinfectants and soap remained slightly above average even during the summer, when food sales had largely returned to normal.

In the 42nd calendar week (October 12th-17th), demand for certain food products also picked up. Compared to the pre-crisis average, sales of flour rose by more than a quarter (+28.4 percent) and yeast by more than a third (+34.8 percent). However, sales of pasta such as noodles were slightly below average (-0.2 percent).

Politicians and trade associations have said the supply situation of daily consumer goods is secure and have urged the population to refrain from “hoarding”.

Der Hamsterkauf is the German word used to describe the panic buying or hoarding that occurs during times of widespread fear or concern.

READ ALSO: German word of the day: Der Hamsterkauf

It comes from the verb hamstern, which means “to hoard or panic buy” since hamsters are known for filling their cheeks with food.

At the beginning of the pandemic, empty supermarket shelves were a common sight in Germany as shops sold out of products like toilet roll, soap, tinned tomatoes, pasta and flour.

Vocabulary

Toilet paper – (das) Toilettenpapier

Disinfectant – (das) Desinfektionsmittel

Toiletries/hygiene products – (die) Hygieneartikeln

We're aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating vocabulary from some of our news stories. Did you find this article useful? Let us know.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

More people donning face masks in supermarkets, friends cancelling plans last minute due to getting sick with Covid-19. We might have seen some of those familiar reminders recently that the coronavirus is still around, but could there really be a resurgence of the virus like we experienced during the pandemic years?

According to virologists, the answer seems to be ‘maybe’: since July, the number of people newly infected with Covid-19 has been slowly rising from a very low level.

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), nine people per 100,000 inhabitants became newly infected in Germany last week. A year ago, there were only around 270 reported cases.

Various Corona variants are currently on the loose in the country. According to the RKI, the EG.5 (also called Eris) and XBB.1.16 lines were each detected in the week ending September 3rd with a share of just under 23 percent.

The highly mutated variant BA.2.86 (Pirola), which is currently under observation by the World Health Organisation (WHO), also arrived in the country this week, according to RKI.

High number of unreported case

The RKI epidemiologists also warned about a high number of unreported cases since hardly any testing is done. They pointed out that almost half of all registered sewage treatment plants report an increasing viral load in wastewater tests.

The number of hospital admissions has also increased slightly, but are still a far cry from the occupation rate amid the pandemic. Last week it was two per 100,000 inhabitants. In the intensive care units, only 1.2 percent of all beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.

Still, a good three-quarters (76.4 percent) of people in Germany have been vaccinated at least twice and thus have basic immunity, reported RKI.

Since Monday, doctors’ offices have been vaccinating with the adapted vaccine from Biontech/Pfizer, available to anyone over 12 years old, with a vaccine for small children set to be released the following week and one for those between 5 and 11 to come out October 2nd.

But Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has so far only recommended that people over 60 and those with pre-existing conditions get vaccinated.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Who should get a Covid jab this autumn in Germany?

“The pandemic is over, the virus remains,” he said. “We cannot predict the course of coming waves of corona, but it is clear that older people and people with pre-existing conditions remain at higher risk of becoming severely ill from Covid-19”

The RKI also recommended that people with a cold voluntarily wear a mask. Anyone exhibiting cough, cold, sore throat or other symptoms of a respiratory illness should voluntarily stay at home for three to five days and take regular corona self-tests.

However, further measures such as contact restrictions are not necessary, he said.

One of many diseases

As of this autumn, Covid-19 could be one of many respiratory diseases. As with influenza, there are no longer absolute infection figures for coronavirus.

Saarbrücken pharmacist Thorsten Lehr told German broadcaster ZDF that self-protection through vaccinations, wearing a mask and getting tested when symptoms appear are prerequisites for surviving the Covid autumn well.

Only a new, more aggressive mutation could completely turn the game around, he added.

On April 7th of this year, Germany removed the last of its over two-year long coronavirus restrictions, including mask-wearing in some public places.

READ ALSO: German doctors recommend Covid-19 self-tests amid new variant

Url copied to clipboard!