Why are people stockpiling toilet paper for the coronavirus?
By now, you've heard of people stocking up on hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, toilet paper has been another hot item on that list. The question for some is why?
An ABC13 viewer shared a photo of the empty toilet paper shelves at an H-E-B in College Station.
RELATED: Everything Americans need to know about coronavirus
During a press conference on Wednesday about the decision to shut down the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo early, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner talked about how people are stockpiling toilet paper.
"Purchasing the toilet paper? I don't get that one. We said we would make decisions based on the facts, the science and the medical advice," he said. "No medical physician, doctor, anyone has said anything about the toilet paper."
Still, a Montgomery County woman said she stocked up.
"Some of it I think is overreaction, but I bought my 120 rolls of toilet paper today," the woman said. It's not clear if she was being sarcastic, but given the rush on supplies, it may not be hard to believe at this point.
Even though there is no indication supplies could run out, some stores have set limits on how many items you can buy.
Psychologists say stocking up on necessities, like toilet paper, is a form of retail therapy, and helps people cope with an uncertainty, like the coronavirus.
VIDEO: "Purchasing the toilet paper? I don't get that one." Mayor Turner addresses coronavirus concerns
