Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

People all over the world are currently doing whatever they can to prevent themselves getting Coronavirus, from wearing face masks everywhere they go to using hand sanitiser more times a day than they can count.

But methods of prevention seem to be getting more and more extreme and depending on your point of view, some may even say ridiculous.

The latest strategy allegedly sees people panic-buying packets of condoms to put them on their fingers to protect against the virus when pushing elevator buttons in buildings.

Photos have been doing the rounds on social media. claiming to show empty Durex condom shelves in stores in Australia and Singapore.

Over on Facebook, parents claimed a viral post has been encouraging people to buy condoms and put them on their fingers to avoid Coronavirus.

"There has been some stupid post telling people to put condoms on their fingers to push buttons etc," said one user.

Over on Twitter people have also been talking about this, with users sharing photos of people actually wearing the condoms on their fingers.

"Condoms in Singapore sold out amidst Coronavirus fear. Since Singaporeans have been using the condom as a protective measure when touching the elevator buttons in their apartments and other buildings to prevent being contaminated," wrote one person.

Another said: "Ok so because of the Coronavirus the supermarkets are empty cuz Singaporeans keep stocking up on food at home out of fear of going outside. My mom just told me in one supermarket the condom aisle is completely empty."

Shoppers around the world have also been stocking up on other everyday items such as toilet paper, soap and hand sanitiser, as cases for Covid-19 jump to 85 in the UK.

The panic has seen eBay shops selling 50p bottles of hand sanitiser gel for as much as £40 as people become desperate to get some.

A number of shops have also now started to sanction how many bottles of hand sanitiser customers can buy at one time as fears of an imminent lethal outbreak across the UK continue to grow.

NOTE: This headline has been amended after publication to make clear that though some people are using condoms on their fingers, there is no evidence of shortages in shops.