The coronavirus outbreak has prompted a lot of questions. And where do most people go for answers? Google.
Concerned minds are converging on Google to curb curiosity over the virus. And a new study suggests that millions do not know much about it.
A SEMrush study collected Google search data between December 2019 and January 2020. Here is what it found: 2.2 million people a month took the time to Google the definition of the coronavirus.
That search was commonly followed by “coronavirus treatment.” Nearly half a million people searched for that term. Over 6 million people searched for simply “coronavirus symptoms.”
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Google experienced a new search for the first time in January, “coronavirus mask.” Over 2 million people searched for these masks and found that after hundreds of thousands of transactions through Walgreens, Walmart and Home Depot – the masks are hard to come by.
There is also worldwide curiosity about China – the epicenter of the outbreak. Many wanted to know about travel restrictions. Research shows over 28,000 in January alone asking if there's an outright travel ban to the country. There isn't.
But the numbers don’t lie. Certain airlines could stand to lose $30 billion in revenue this year due to travel concerns. Travel agents also say that they are seeing a dip in business and hotel bookings.
The virus has killed thousands of people – mostly in China. Tens of thousands have been sickened.
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