The Coronavirus pandemic has seen demand skyrocket for a whole host of unexpected materials and equipment. Some of these items are needed to treat the virus itself, while others have come about as a result of public panic-buying.
If you’re looking to learn exactly what is in high demand due to COVID-19, we’ve covered everything in detail below:
1) Ventilators
Most hospitals are equipped with up to a few hundred ventilators in any instance, for treatment of patients with respiratory distress. But with the Coronavirus leading to respiratory complications in thousands of patients, ventilators and oxygen sensors, like those supplied by Sensoronics, are in short supply. Manufacturers can’t keep up with the need for so many new ventilators, which is leading to shortages all over the world.
2) Facemasks
Ever since the CDC advised the public wore some sort of covering over the lower half of the face, sales in facemasks have gone through the roof. There’s debate about whether facemasks will actually protect you from COVID-19 – it seems that only medical-grade masks can actually stop the spread, while other facemasks will only stop you from spreading it yourself – but many people are taking the approach that it’s better to wear something than nothing.
3) Toilet roll
Toilet roll is the first slightly unexpected product to have found itself in high demand due to the Coronavirus pandemic. We don’t know who started the trend, but within days, everyone was buying toilet roll as if they’d never see it again, and many supermarkets sold out completely.
4) Tinned produce
Around about the time quarantine was declared mandatory, thousands of people took to their local grocery stores and bought as many tinned foods as they could get their hands on. This tin-hoarding became so obsessive that many stores had to impose regulations on how many tins customers could buy at a time. Luckily, some countries are delivering food parcels to the most vulnerable, to make sure everyone still gets access to food.
5) Hair dye
In many countries around the world, the lockdown restrictions have forced local businesses, including hairdressers and barbershops, to close. The people who would usually head to the salon to get their roots touched up or experiment with a new colour are now resorting to using box hair dye at home instead. Many health stores and supermarkets have completely sold out of all shades.
6) Jigsaw puzzles
When boredom calls, there’s nothing that quite answers it better than a 1000-piece jigsaw. Online sales of jigsaws have risen so dramatically that suppliers are unable to keep track of stock. Similar items that have seen an increase in demand in recent weeks are board games, puzzles, adult colouring books, and card games, as families in quarantine discover they have nothing to do.
7) Pasta and rice
They’re the most basic cooking ingredients, and they last for years, so it’s no surprise that so many people bulk-bought pasta and rice when quarantine rules were enforced. In the baking aisle, flour and sugar are also proving immensely popular for similar reasons. Many supermarkets haven’t been able to fully stock these specific shelves for several weeks now.
