Say it after me 'Corona Beer has nothing to do with the coronavirus.' Thank you.

The scare around the discovery of a coronavirus in China has heightened airport security, as officials try to stem the outbreak from going world wide. But do we really think it has something to do with Corona beer?

Let me start by issuing what should be an obvious disclaimer.

The coronovirus emerging in China has NOTHING to do with Corona brand beer. They share a name, that's all.

According to Wikipedia:

Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans, the viruses cause respiratory infections which are typically mild including the common cold but rarer forms like SARS and MERS can be lethal.

While Corona Beer is...

pale lager produced by Cervecería Modelo in Mexico for domestic distribution and export to all other countries besides the United States...the Corona brand is one of the top-selling beers worldwide. Corona is commonly served with a wedge of lime or lemon in the neck of the bottle to add tartness and flavor.

And yet SOME people apparently have confused the two.

According to Business Insider, searches for 'corona beer virus', 'beer virus' and 'beer corona virus' have skyrocketed 2300% since the news first broke about the coronavirus last month.

Luckily, it's not Michigan who seems confused by the whole beer virus thing. The states most searching for a beer virus are Arizona, South Carolina, Virginia, Nevada and Colorado.

Business Insider adds:

This isn't the first homonym involving a disease and a brand. According to The New York Times, during the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, sales of the diet candy Ayds dropped approximately 50%.

 

The Wuhan virus has prompted numerous other false narratives. Supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory have advocated drinking bleach to kill the coronavirus, The Daily Beast reported Tuesday.

DO NOT drink bleach. Ever. Under any circumstance.

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