For a couple of months after the virus pandemic hit the US in early March, empty store shelves were a common sight, as consumers stocked up (hoarded?) products in a number of categories, such as cleaning products but also staples such as pasta and rice - and of course toilet paper.

More recently, such shortages have largely disappeared, as the virus infections stabilized and hoarding lost favor.

But with the recent sharp rise in COV-19 infections across the US, empty shelves are back.

The photo collage below is from the Daily Mail.com web site, with pjotos from stores in states across the US:

Source: Daily Mail

But experts say the run is likely to be less severe this time as stores and shoppers are more prepared. Subodha Kumar, a supply chain expert at Temple University, told The Daily Beast: "People have already hoarded a lot of this stuff in their basements."

We're thinking of stocking up a bit anyway.

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