Scenes of chock-full shopping carts and empty meat and dairy shelves added to the growing sense of panic gripping the country (Photo: Cristian Gherasim)

Feature

Coronavirus hysteria hits Romania

EU Political

Health & Society

by Cristian Gherasim, Bucharest,

Scenes of chock-full shopping carts and empty meat and dairy shelves added to the growing sense of panic gripping the country (Photo: Cristian Gherasim)

Romanian authorities earlier this week (Wednesday 26 February) confirmed the first, and only, case of coronavirus infection - yet public hysteria over a possible national outbreak hit the country days before.

Supermarkets across the country have been stormed by panicking shoppers, looking to stock up on groceries. Fears that an epidemic would leave food supplies short led many to buy weeks' worth of groceries in one go.

Scenes of chock-full shopping carts and empty meat and dairy...

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EU Political Health & Society Feature

Author Bio

Cristian Gherasim is a freelance journalist contributing to EUobserver, Euronews, EU Reporter, Katoikos, Von Mises Institute, and bne IntelliNews, with a particular focus on European and regional affairs.