In another recent episode, male contestants took turns performing half-nude lap dances on a female participant. At a house party, one contestant drank sparkling wine out of another’s bellybutton.

While conversation throughout Germany, as elsewhere, has been dominated by discussions of the virus, the contestants’ discussions have focused on more banal topics, like dating, household chores and their sexual interests.

In an article on Thursday in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, a spokeswoman for Sat. 1, the channel that broadcasts the show, was quoted defending the ethics of withholding information from the contestants. But the show quickly reversed course. In an email on Tuesday, Sandra Scholz, a spokeswoman in the channel’s press office, said the program’s policy had always been to inform contestants “anytime something this exceptional happens in the world.”

Contestants on “Big Brother” in Italy and Australia were recently told about the epidemic, and participants in Canada were informed after they noted the conspicuous absence of a studio audience during the segment of the show when contestants are eliminated.

“Big Brother” has had to grapple with similar dilemmas about news events in the past. In 2001, the American version of the program broke the set’s news blackout to inform its cast members about the September 11 attacks. One of the contestants, Monica Bailey, had a cousin who died during the attack.

Although four new contestants entered the German show on March 9 in a surprise twist, they were barred by producers from speaking about current events. The channel’s press office said in an email that all new arrivals had been screened for the virus, and that production staff had taken enhanced protective measures in recent weeks.