(WHDH) — Some people turning to Google to learn more about the coronavirus appear to be confusing the potentially deadly virus with the Mexican beer Corona Extra.
Business Insider found through an analysis of Google Trends that online searches for “corona beer virus,” “beer virus,” and “beer coronavirus” have sharply increased since Jan. 18.
From Jan. 18 to Jan. 26, searches for “corona beer virus” jumped 2,300 percent globally, searches for “beer virus” increased by 744 percent, and searches for “beer coronavirus” rose by 3,233 percent.
Despite some apparent confusion, there is no connection between the beer and the coronavirus.
The name comes from the Latin word “corōna” for crowns or halos, which coronaviruses resemble under a microscope, according to the Associated Press.
The new virus originated in Wuhan, China in December. It has claimed the lives of more than 100 people and infected about 6,000.
The CDC has confirmed five infections of coronavirus in America from four states and is testing more than 100 additional individuals across the country.
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