Hilarious '#toiletpaper' memes go viral as Australians are mocked for stripping supermarket shelves bare while stocking up on loo roll over coronavirus fears
- The hashtag '#toiletpaper' has gone viral after panicked shoppers stocked up
- Australian supermarket shelves are being cleared of staple household items
- Coronavirus fears have prompted a rush to stockpile toilet paper and food
- Funny images are being shared that playfully mock the paranoid shoppers
Hilarious memes have been shared online mocking Australians for stocking up on toilet paper due to fears of the deadly coronavirus.
Paranoid Australians who have been preparing for the worst are being mocked online for hoarding toilet paper and clearing out supermarket shelves.
Of 10,000 people across Australia to have been tested for the virus, there are 41 confirmed cases, with 21 now cleared.
Woolworths was forced to introduce a four-pack limit for toilet paper on Wednesday as stores across the country ran out of the product.
The hashtag '#toiletpaper' went viral as Australians joked about paranoid shoppers stocking up due to the fears there will be a shortage.
Shoppers are worried that the outbreak of the coronavirus in China will disrupt the supply of toilet paper, despite toilet paper being produced on mass in Australia and no supermarkets reporting a shortage.
Hashtag 'Toiletpaper' has become a viral trend as Australians were mocked for stocking up on the household essential amid panicked coronavirus fears
Social media users joked that Australians were using toilet paper to protect themselves
Share this article
Images of people wrapped up in toilet paper were shared with captions that said: 'How Australians protect themselves against coronavirus'.
Pictures of people in front of piles of toilet paper were also posted with the text: 'Australians stocking up for coronavirus'.
The toilet paper jokes began after Aussie shoppers cleared out supermarket shelves, and jokes were made about how valuable the product has become (pictured)
Twitter users also mocked the Australian Government's response to the virus outbreak
Users joked that anyone with their own stockpile of toilet paper was 'prepared for emergencies' and 'trying to stop coronavirus'.
The price of toilet paper was also mocked as Aussies joked that the household item was becoming a valuable commodity.
Twitter users also made jokes about how the Australian Government was handling the virus.
Social media users showed off their humorous toilet paper alternatives amid the panic
A picture of a front yard covered in toiled paper was shared with the caption: 'Australian Government coronavirus response revealed.'
Another Tweet read: 'Breaking - NSW Government announces level 2 toilet paper restrictions.'
Users also joked about the different response between Australia and The United States.
One Twitter user said that while Aussies stocked up on toilet paper Americans were turning to 'whiskey' and 'flags'.
Some shoppers were forced to choose other paper products from the empty shelves
Instagram users even joked about the differing responses between America and Australia
Users on Reddit also provided plenty of jokes about the coronavirus in general.
They mocked the similarity between coronavirus and Corona beer and joked about facemasks coming into fashion.
Some users even cracked 'dad jokes' about the virus and asked: 'What do you call and Instagram celeb who got corona? An influenzer.'
Former Reserve Bank of Australia board member Warwick McKibbin said a global pandemic could wipe out 68million people worldwide, including 96,000 Australians.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has encouraged Australians to go about their business as usual.
Desperate Sydney shoppers took to Costco to stock up on toilet paper on Wednesday morning
Users even mocked the name similarity between the deadly virus and Corona beer
'I am looking forward to getting to places of mass gathering, particularly if it involves my football team playing, or going to kids' concerts,' he said.
Mr Morrison said he had consulted with supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths, with the fallout affecting global supply chains and consumers 'panic buying' as the crisis continues to escalate.
Globally there have been more than 88,500 infections and more than 3000 deaths spanning 67 countries and regions.
One elderly man from Perth became the first person in Australia to die from the virus on Sunday.
