Misleading photo that contributed mass panic buying over coronavirus

This picture of a person climbing on shelves at Costco to stock up on bags of rice has been shared hundreds of times, but there is one big issue with it.

Over the last few days social media has been flooded with pictures of empty shelves and crowds of people rushing through supermarkets with trolleys full of canned food, pasta, toilet paper and hand sanitiser.

There is one photo in particular that has been used repeatedly to show the extent of panic buying over coronavirus fears.

It shows a man climbing on a shelf at a Costco warehouse store to grab the last few bags of rice as a crowd of shoppers wait below with outstretched hands.

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This photo of panic buying has been shared widely around social media.

This picture emerged online sometime last week and was quickly reshaped by multiple social media users, with many claiming it was taken at a store in Richmond, British Columbia in Canada’s west.

People shared their shock at the “crazy” scenes, using it as proof panic buying was “getting out of hand”.

The photo seemed to have a flow on effect as more photos of the Richmond store full of frenzied shoppers and empty shelves started to appear online.

Not sensationalizing or anything....this is live. At Costco Richmond hill
No water, no paper towel
No toilet paper pic.twitter.com/sMGWu1DeEx

— Realtymetrics (@realtymetrics) March 2, 2020

A friend sent this to me today: Costco in Richmond, BC

I guess I'm going to die in Canada from either the virus or starvation.

Oh the irony pic.twitter.com/8r6XrhS1zk

— Aidi (@aproiapsen) March 2, 2020

Scenes from Richmond Costco.. pic.twitter.com/5Toy43OWtU

— K.D. (@voxx23) March 1, 2020

It is clear this photo played a role in prompting other shoppers in the area to stock up on items by making them think there would be no supplies left if they didn’t.

However, while the image may well be from a Costco store there is no proof the photo was taken at the Richmond – or any Canadian – store.

One Twitter user pointed out people had also claimed it was snapped at stores in Seattle, New York, Ontario and California.

The woman with the pink lined hood has made quite the journey today😉 pic.twitter.com/RsOQ5Eq4St

— FIVRE604 (@FIVRE604) March 1, 2020

This picture is likely just one of many misleading photos that have fuelled panic buying across multiple countries in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic.

University of British Columbia clinical psychologist and author of The Psychology of Pandemics Dr Steven Taylor said there has always been people who spread misleading information during times of panic.

Some people may not even realise the information they were spreading was untrue, but Dr Taylor told the South China Morning Post the aim for other people was purely to “falsely perpetuate fear”.

“That has turned up in every pandemic going back to the bubonic plague in the Middle Ages,” he said.

“These days we call them trolls.”

Dr Taylor noted there were a variety of reasons someone might choose to do it, with some claiming it as a prank while others were doing it to gain a sense of power over others.

These types of dramatic photos prompt an emotional response in people, with Dr Taylor saying many people don’t even question whether they are real or not.

“Some people will be able to step back and say, ‘Hang on, is that real?’ But others will buy into the truth of the image, and it can be very powerful,” he told the publication.

“Those kind of images stick in your mind. They influence your judgment, about how scarce things are. Images of fully stocked shelves don’t go viral.”

Costco Australia managing director Patrick Noone said there had been an influx of customers across all its warehouses this week, with transaction limits placed on toilet paper, milk, eggs, rice and soap products.

Scenes from a Costco of people panic buying toilet paper due to coronavirus pandemic fears.

“We are reviewing and changing this regularly as needed,” Mr Noone said in a statement on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Costco reported that its February sales at stores opened for at least a year jumped 12.1 per cent from the same month last year, a surge it attributed to “concerns over the coronavirus”.

In Australia, one of the main items people have been stocking up on is toilet paper, forcing Coles and Woolworths to enforce limits on toilet paper purchases.

Woolworths is also limiting the sale of large bags of rice, and hand sanitiser.

More than 60 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in Australia, with two people dying from the illness.

Worldwide there have been more than 98,300 confirmed cases and 3383 deaths.