Google searches for ‘Corona beer virus’ surge as news of coronavirus spread across US
No, coronavius is not related to Corona beer, but some people seem to think so.
Google searches for “Corona Beer” and “Corona Beer Virus” are both up significantly in the last week, when the first cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the U.S.
The confusion may not be solely from searchers, as Google itself may lead people to this unfortunate mix up. When typing “corona” into Google, “corona beer virus” is the second option the search engine predicts.
The search term “corona beer virus” is most common in Iowa and Oklahoma, while people in Connecticut, New Hampshire and New Mexico are searching for “beer virus” more.
People in Australia, India and Canada are also searching for Corona Beer-related terms, according to Google Trends.
A Wayne State University marketing professor told WWJ NewsRadio that it’s “a case of mistaken identity.”
“I think the concern comes out of our new world here where everything can be found at the touch of your fingertips on your mobile device,” Jeffrey Stoltman told the radio station. “Apparently, there’s a very large number of people in a very populated country — India — that sort of started the ball rolling on this and then individuals such as yourself who kind of wondered the same thing.”
Corona Extra has not publicly commented on coronavirus.
The mix-up is similar to the mid 1980’s when the AIDS crisis led to an unfortunate word association problem with Ayds, a candy taken before meals as an appetite suppressant. The candy first introduced in the 1950s was taken off the market in the late 1980s, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
If you’re wondering why it’s called coronavirus in the first place, it’s because the virus has crown-like spikes on its surface and “corona” is Latin for “crown,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While many people have joked on social media about the virus’ non-affiliation with the beer, more than 100 people have died in China from coronavirus
China has confirmed 4,500 cases of the virus and there are more than 50 elsewhere, according to the Associated Press. There have been five confirmed cases in the U.S., according to the CDC.