Caution: The breaking news about contaminated toilet paper from the discount store is a hoax! There is no recall!
The paper tubes of toilet paper are not contaminated with SARS-CoV-2
Breaking news announces that discount store toilet paper can transmit the new coronavirus.
It is a hoax.
It's about the following status post, which is shared on Facebook:

Attention, attention breaking news!!!
ALMOST ALL DISCOUNTERS URGENTLY CALL THEIR TOILET PAPER BACK!!!
It turned out that the cardboard tubes were manufactured in Wuhan, PR China and are suspected of transmitting the corona virus! So anyone who bought senseless amounts of toilet paper is now really screwed!
The fact check
Just recently, we received inquiries about a similar status post that claimed "COVID-19 has been found in toilet paper and a strain of deadly virus is breeding in the tissue fibers" . ( we reported )
The current rumor is also far-fetched.
Viruses have difficulty surviving on porous surfaces. According to Rachel Graham , an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina, the viruses “get caught” in the tiny spaces and are difficult to transmit. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 is unstable in the environment .
In general, you should follow the rule of thumb to wash your hands regularly and thoroughly after touching things that other people have previously touched. You can find more information about metals and fabrics .
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What role does the transport of goods actually play when it comes to the risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2?
As the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health explains, infection via imported goods is very unlikely. In advance would have to
- contamination has occurred,
- the virus may still be active after transport for several days or weeks and
- the virus can be transmitted in sufficient numbers as droplet or smear infections.
It is currently unknown whether the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 remains infectious in liquid or dried material for several days. Maintaining infectivity on dried surfaces, e.g. B. packaging or technical devices is unlikely.
There is no evidence of the risk of infection through contact with goods from China, nor was there any during the SARS epidemic in 2003. Maintaining basic hygiene is recommended, including regular hand washing with soap and water.
However, adhere to the usual protective measures defined for your industry in the event of hazards caused by biological substances if vermin or mold infestation occur (see also DGUV practical aid for freight containers ).
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Activities with animals or vermin and their excretions can be associated with exposure to biological substances (bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi) and are subject to the Biological Substances Ordinance (BioStoffV). TRBA 400 provides assistance with risk assessment . Information about species-specific infectious agents is provided by, for example, B. the TRBA 230 .
The occupational safety measures to be generally determined as part of the risk assessment should generally be sufficient to ensure protection against such infections even in the extremely unlikely event of SARS-CoV-2 contamination.
The current information from the RKI and the BfR also provides information on imported goods and other matters relating to SARS-CoV-2:
RKI: Answers to frequently asked questions about the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus
BfR: Respiratory diseases caused by novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
Conclusion:
It is false news. No discounter is affected by contaminated toilet paper whose paper tubes come from Wuhan.
In addition, the researchers mentioned above assume that the virus has a very difficult time maintaining itself on porous surfaces and generally behaves unstable in the environment. ( please also take a look at this article )
Unfortunately, there are still no definitive studies on the transmission routes specifically for SARS-CoV-2.
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

