Netizens are linking Coronavirus with Corona beer and here's the truth!

The new coronavirus that was recently found in Wuhan, China, has nothing to do with 'Corona beer'. Yet, Google Trends, a website that analyzes the popularity of search queries in Google search, noted that searches related to the virus included phrases such as "beer virus" and "corona beer virus". This shows that apparently people are under the impression that coronavirus which is also known as nCoV, has something to do with Corona brand beer.

How the misconception came into being? On January 20, China's National Health Commission confirmed that human-to-human transmission of nCoV had occurred. It is not surprising that people across countries started googling coronavirus around the same time. In Latin, corona means 'Crown'. The virus is named after 'Corona' because of tiny spikes on their surfaces which make them look like little crowns. It isn't completely clear what may have started this misconception, but it could be just Google autocomplete or some curious people who found a relation between the names.

Coronavirus vs Corona the beer. 'Corona' is a family of viruses that causes an infection in your nose, sinuses, or upper throat. It was first identified in the 1960s named after 'Corona' because of their crown-like shape. A coronavirus can infect both humans and animals.

'Corona' is a brand of beer, a pale lager, an alcoholic beverage. It originated back in 1925, forty years before coronavirus was discovered and named. It was certainly not named after the virus.

To prevent contracting the deadly virus, you can take preventive measures. Currently, there is no vaccine against any type of coronavirus, hence, the best you can do is avoid contact with people who have a cold and to wash your hands regularly and thoroughly.