COVID-19 Found in Toilet Paper: Breaking News – Fact Check

Story:

Breaking News: COVID-19 Found in Toilet Paper
Strain of the Deadly Virus Breeds Rapidly in Tissue Fibres.

Other Versions

The deadly new strain of Coronavirus, COVID-19 was found in Toilet Paper. It breeds rapidly in the tissue fibres.

Fact Check:

A ‘Breaking News’ doing rounds on social media claims the deadly new strain of Coronavirus, COVID-19 was Found in a Toilet Paper. It accompanies what appears like a screen grab of a Live Television news report also saying the virus breeds rapidly in Tissue Fibres. No, the claims are not true and explained here.

COVID-19 Found in Toilet Paper?

Around 10th March 2020, the alleged screen grab of a Live Television news report appeared on social media and image sharing websites like Facebook, Twitter, Imgur and others. It also appeared on a ‘news’ article on website Now8News.com reporting finding of Coronavirus in the one place people never expected – toilet paper. The article went on to say CDC is urging people to using a wet washcloth when cleaning themselves after using the bathroom instead of toilet paper. It concluded saying Toilet paper factories are shutting down as sanitation measures are going on.

Satire/Meme

After the outbreak of new strain of Coronavirus around world, some people started stocking up toilet paper in panic. They also posted about it on social media. They started hoarding toilet paper following warnings from doctors and governments to restrict movement and stay at home as they try to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19. The panic buying of toilet paper spread from Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus to as far as Britain. Consequently, retailers in America and Canada started limiting the number of toilet paper packs customers can buy in one trip. Some supermarkets in the UK went out of stock in toilet paper. Grocery stores in Australia hired security guards to patrol customers.

Under those circumstances, someone created the satire/meme saying Toilet paper is the source of the virus. As a matter of fact, the virus would not be able to grow without host cells and replicate thereafter. The website Now8News.com does not have any credible about information. They have been publishing many hoax/satire stories like Scientists Cloned a Half Human, Half Gorilla Hybrid called Hurilla.

Most certainly, someone created the image in question using some online fake news generator website like ‘Break Your Own News’. Some viewers in fact understood the humor around it. However, others mistook the screen grab of the ‘news report’ for real.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.