Uh, oh. It looks like things are going to get pretty awkward in the bedroom due to the coronavirus. According to the Guardian, Malaysia’s Karex Bhd, which makes one in every 5 condoms globally, has shut down for a week as the Malaysian government imposes factory lockdowns to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Just one week of the shutdown has already meant 100 million fewer condoms being produced.
The company, which is marketed by brands such as Durex, has been permitted to restart production but with only 50% of staff since they are considered as a vital industry.
“It will take time to jumpstart factories and we will struggle to keep up with demand at half capacity,” the chief executive, Goh Miah Kiat told the Guardian.
“We are going to see a global shortage of condoms everywhere, which is going to be scary. My concern is that for a lot of humanitarian programs … in Africa, the shortage will not just be two weeks or a month. That shortage can run into months.”