Almost everything is being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic...even condoms. According to a report by The Guardian, there may be a global condom shortage due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Coronavirus set to trigger a global condom shortage due to shutting down of factories
Fears of a shortage began to grow when Malaysia's Karex Bhd, the world's largest producer of condoms, was forced to shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Karex Bhd makes one in every five condoms produced worldwide. The company has three factories, but since the lockdown, they've not produced a single condom. Because of this, there's already been a shortage in supply by 100 million condoms worldwide.
What does a global condom shortage mean for the world?
While COVID-19 is being tackled currently, overpopulation and STIs still need to be kept at bay. There are already speculations of a baby boom. If condoms are not available, we might face an upsurge in population.
"We are going to see a global shortage of condoms everywhere, which is going to be scary," Karex chief executive, Goh Miah Kiat, explains. "My concern is that for a lot of humanitarian programmes deep down in Africa, the shortage will not just be two weeks or a month. That shortage can run for months."
Malaysia is also home to factories which produce items critical to the fight against the virus, including latex gloves. So they are allowing companies that produce essentials to operate with half of their workforce including Karex.
“It will take time to jumpstart factories and we will struggle to keep up with demand at half capacity,” said the chief executive, Goh Miah Kiat.
“The good thing is that the demand for condoms is still very strong because, like it or not, it’s still an essential to have,” Goh said. “Given that at this point in time, people are probably not planning to have children. It’s not the time, with so much uncertainty.”
As of writing this report, there are 139 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
If you notice any of the COVID-19 symptoms, please call any of these NCDC numbers.
- Toll-Free Number: 0800 9700 0010
- Whatsapp: +234708 711 0839
- SMS Number: +234809 955 5577
Also read: Covid-19: How To Survive A Lockdown In Nigeria
Source: The Guardian
