There’s nothing funny about the new coronavirus, but some people’s response to it can be pretty off-the-wall. On a slow news day, our staff checked out headlines from across the state and around the globe, and came up with this compilation of Crazy New Coronavirus Stories.
“Corona beer virus” searches soar as Corona beer sales plummet
Sure. Coronavirus and Corona beer sound similar, but does anyone really think the two are connected? Apparently, yes.
A survey conducted by 5W Public Relations found that 38 percent of beer drinkers won’t buy Corona “under any circumstances” and The New York Post reports 16 percent of those surveyed said they weren’t sure if the two were connected.
Online searches for “corona beer virus” spiked in early February, according to CNN, but have since declined.
Fake text messages and other scams.
Don’t fall for COVID-19 scams. An unsolicited link to coronavirus information could very well be a link to a computer virus, warns the Center for Disease Control. The Ohio Department of Health said that there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Trumbull County.
If a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, imagine what a slice of cake could do.
The number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Italy has risen to nearly 1000. This hasn’t stopped some wisecracking Italians from laughing in the face of danger.
At the Gelateria Infinito shop on the outskirts of Cremona, customers can get a “Coronacake,” among other goodies.
Wave your cane in the air if you remember the Bump dance craze from the 70’s.
No confirmation on how much truth there is in a Reddit post that shows some folks have dropped the handshake in exchange for the Bump as a way of greeting one another. No exchange of germs here.
KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell take a hit on Wall Street
Yum China, a near $20 billion dollar enterprise and parent company of the KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell brands, lost approximately 15% of its market value this year, stemming from coronavirus fears.
It’s no surprise that a company with “China” in its name could be affected more than the average stock by the novel coronavirus.
In addition, Nike has reportedly closed about half of its company-owned stores in China, according to reports. About 17% of Nike revenue comes from China, where a large percentage of its products are made.
No sense in taking chances! Anything for our babies.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a face mask for yourself, you’ll be hard-pressed to find one.
You’re about a month too late if you’re looking to purchase face mask protection. Pharmacies and supermarkets have been sold out for weeks. According to a WalMart pharmacy associate in an East Ohio store, they get multiple requests from customers everyday for face masks.
“They’ve been on backorder and we have no idea when we’ll be getting anymore,” said the associate.
Other Ohio pharmacies said they are taking hundreds of calls a day from people searching for face masks.
Amazon also is sold out of the N95 masks that the CDC recommends.
A resourceful few have found ways to improvise:
Last but certainly not least…
Muslim Pilgrimage Poses New Risk of Spread
Religious pilgrimages and ceremonies in the Middle East have emerged as a dangerous new risk in the spread of the new coronavirus. This Iranian is doing nothing to help matters as he demonstrates how he can “remove” the virus to save others by licking the shrine.
Disturbing behavior as man licks shrine to remove virus