Online searches indicate that some people think coronavirus is connected to Corona Beer: report

Truth be can so much goofier than fiction, and some recent online searches show just how goofy. Business Insider’s Bill Bostock is reporting that recent data from Google Trends indicates that some people believe that the deadly coronavirus is somehow connected to Corona Beer.

Data from Google Trends, Bostock reports, shows that from January 18-26, searches for “corona beer virus” increased by 2300% globally. During that same period, according to Bostock, searches for “beer virus” went up by 744% — and searches for “beer coronavirus” leaped by 3233%.

Of course, there is no connection between Corona Beer and the virus, which has resulted in some cities being quarantined in China — where the first case was reported on December 8. Although China has been the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, cases of the virus have also been reported in 16 other countries — including the United States, where cases have been reported in California, Illinois, Washington State and Arizona. As of January 29, coronavirus has killed at least 132 people, but most of the roughly 6000 people who have been infected have survived.

Corona is a Mexican beer: in both Spanish and Italian, “corona” means crown. And according to data from Bloomberg Markets, stock for Corona’s parent company, Constellation Brands, has not declined in value because of coronavirus.