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As the novel coronavirus, 2019-nCoV, spreads across the world there is understandable concern about how this virus found its way into humans and how people can keep themselves safe.
What is harder to understand is the predictably disappointing spike in searches relating to Corona beer.
Users who seem to think that the popular Mexican beverage might somehow be related to the deadly outbreak have taken to the internet to confirm their suspicions, sending searches relating to the beer spiking on Google Trends.
It's not what we're drinking. Photo / File
Searches for the beer itself saw a massive uptick, as did searches for "Corona beer virus" and "beer virus".
In the US, Google Trends calculated that 57 per cent of the people who searched one of those terms searched for "beer virus," and the remaining 43 per cent searched for "corona beer virus."
In NZ, searches were similarly split between the two terms and reached a peak two days ago.
Google Trends tweeted earlier this week that "coronavirus symptoms" had spiked +1050 per cent this week. The search giant also revealed other top questions, such as "what is coronavirus" and "is coronavirus deadly".
The trends show that the Hamilton bar owners who advertised a coronavirus-themed promotion might have been on to something.
House on Hood bar has a promotion for $6.50 Coronas and a free one-metre pizza on Friday, as long as the coronavirus "pandemic lasts".
"Virus or no virus, we still think Coronas are pretty great, so while the pandemic lasts, we're selling Coronas for just $6.50, all day, every day!!"
It also includes a photo of two men wearing boiler suits and gas masks while holding up Coronas.
The promotion was widely criticised.
The promotion has had mixed reviews by Kiwis, with some quite upset at the post.
"Shame on you guys for this post House on Hood. The world is literally suffering and we've been blessed enough that we are still safe here. It's not funny at all," one person wrote.
Another agreed: "How on earth do you think this is OK?! You wouldn't run a '$6.50 on all Aussie beers for the entire bushfire season' so why is this okay?!"
While another wrote: "That's disgusting. I'm so embarrassed right now."
John Lawrenson, CEO of the Lawrenson Group, which owns the House on Hood, didn't agree and told the Herald:
"The great thing about living in today's society is that there is a small but loud minority of people who get offended by everything and I can always rely on them to get triggered.
"So I'd just like to say thanks to all the snowflakes for the free advertising and thanks to everyone else with a sense of humour who liked the post."
