Coronavirus or more appropriately COVID-19 has been dominating all prominent social media platforms. The pedestal World Health Organisation (WHO) has already declared coronavirus as the worst global pandemic. A significant amount of confusion and panic has forced people around the globe to the web for accurate information, reliable support system & seamless online services.
The deadly COVID-19 hasn’t left any square mile and impacted everyone in certain ways. The rapid halting of travelling amidst countries, schools, public buildings & government system has left people under significant fear. Economy driving small business and services has left people in complete ambiguity to deal with a severe global pandemic.
As people make themselves aware of the situation, their searches do change. Here we are going to present with the latest studies about prominent searches made by people around the world during the lockdown. Since searches do reflect the actual mindset since COVID-19 has severely impacted every industry. Deeply analysing search trend around the globe, gives us insights to the subsequent reactions to this pandemic.
Coronavirus Precautions
How to Protect yourself from COVID-19
1. Essential Ecommerce Stores
Search trends have shown quite a positive response in terms of e-commerce stores selling essential goods. Ecommerce websites selling daily necessities such as hand sanitizer, face masks, toilet paper, Sanitary wipes and not forgetting thermometers have been visualising a great spike in traffic and impressions.
Basic products associated with COVID-19 are being searched most over online platforms. Since a rapid demand for such products has left stores empty or overpriced. To overcome needs, people are turning to the internet and searching for online platforms. Grocery stores and pharmacies have been seeing extensive demand for their business over multiple online platforms.
A sudden demand for necessary goods backed by their shortages in pharmacies and supermarkets has paved new opportunities for local businesses. People have been searching for essential goods with searches like “toilet paper near me” & face masks near me”.
This drastic move over in demand of essential has left people associated luxury goods and services in complete ambiguity. Business owner of luxury goods are amidst great anxiousness and fear since people are prioritising essential goods over luxury and branded items
2. Health & Wellness Information
Since Corona being a respiratory disease, people are educating themselves online over the topic like health and wellness. Since most of the healthcare searches comprise of general symptoms, home remedies, virus prevention and general information.
The previous week have seen a significant surge in the requests for the content associated with coronavirus and health. Since this pandemic has effected a mass like never before which has created a scarce of medical personals.
People are relying upon search engine for minor pieces of advice, which is a great responsibility to the one providing. Since the complete wellness search trends have been revolving around the “Symptoms” & “Best Practices”. Quite general searches like “Handwashing Techniques” have seen a significant surge. People are also searching for home-based remedies such as “Antibacterial Essential Oils”, “Antiviral Oils” & “Antiviral herbs”.
Considering the need of the hour and rampant “health and wellness Searches”, google has been also acting appropriately. Google is backing to the website providing high-quality advice, qualified content contrary to the one with less authoritative information. The crawlers of google and like other search engines have been making efforts to root out misinforming content. The results can be easily seen, as wellness websites providing useful and qualified information are seamlessly attaining top positions.
3. News Mediums
News & Media platforms have been in great demand since the outbreak. Publishing platforms are seeing an abrupt surge in traffic and impression compared to that of any regular day pre-breakout tenure. This traffic is the only sign of sheer reliability of general population amongst media houses.
There has been a constant stream of pandemic updates round the world. Since various acknowledged publishing houses do not only provide updates to a pandemic, also have been channelizing their resources to negate challenges in the fighting COVID-19.
A mass of publishers has been uplifting their paywalls based corona related articles. Every news outlet is providing multi-faceted information in association with Coronavirus for free. Public interests have been consistently growing as journalists and high impressions websites have been seamlessly reporting to latest updates.
4. Travel Websites
Travel and tourism industry is more to be affected than any close industry to it. The government’s around the globe have imposed travel restrictions and bans resulting in steep fall in travel-related search queries, cruise ship searches. There has been a significant surge in the travel related queries since the sudden ban has impacted various plans of people around the globe.
There has been a subsequent influx of people searching for cancellations, rescheduling and last minute cheap deals to be at their homes. The objective of searches is also changing, since “Travel India” search was meant for travel to Italy, but today due to pandemic has turned to get acquainted with the current information of the travel restrictions.
The rise of countries imposing harsher travel bans will deeply impact the travel industry online as well as offline platforms. The sole strategy of travel companies should be to provide customer support and consolidation since customer acquisition is far sight until the pandemic is subsidised.
5. Recipe Websites
This is one such a sector attaining surprising surge in traffic, during the lockdown period of the pandemic. As per insights, it seems like, people are turning creative in their kitchens while observing self-isolation and social distance during the lockdown. Although user traffic on the recipe website isn’t close to that of wellness and health websites offering coronavirus information. Since people are turning to cook themselves rather than going out in restaurants.
As per insights, more surge can be expected as if the lockdown period increases and people will rely upon these recipe websites. People are not only the one searching for recipes, but affluent media publishers are also encouraging “Coronavirus” based Recipes. Eg. “Easy Recipes to cook during Coronavirus Self Quarantine” and “Coronavirus self-isolation Dinners”
Population around the globe under a wide lockdown are also moving towards cooking to kill boredom and subsequently bring the creativity of joy in their day. We are also expecting a high surge of traffic to home-based recipes and DIY queries while staying in Quarantine Lockdown and Self isolation.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Is Impacting Every Industry
These five sectors being the prominent one in seeing high user searches, but there exists no industry which hasn’t been affected. Regardless of your industry expertise, people will be searching for COVID-19 and its association with your business. This the most important time to analyse your search query data very carefully.
User searches are the appropriate reflections of the human mind-set and the ultimate reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic. If your audience is looking for answers, channelized your efforts to deliver add-on quality. Search data insights can deeply help in augmenting your business plans during this volatile period.
Although it is very clear, that COVID-19 will continue to affect our lives for at least a month. Ensure to Stay Safe, Healthy and practice Social Distancing, and justifiable usage of time. Learn more about your online audience and appropriate insightful data.
Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19)
COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don’t feel unwell. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness. People with fever, cough and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention.
People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets. This is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick.
WHO is assessing ongoing research on the ways COVID-19 is spread and will continue to share updated findings.
Illness due to COVID-19 infection is generally mild, especially for children and young adults. However, it can cause serious illness: about 1 in every 5 people who catch it need hospital care. It is therefore quite normal for people to worry about how the COVID-19 outbreak will affect them and their loved ones.
We can channel our concerns into actions to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities. First and foremost among these actions is regular and thorough hand-washing and good respiratory hygiene. Secondly, keep informed and follow the advice of the local health authorities including any restrictions put in place on travel, movement and gatherings.
Learn more about how to protect yourself at https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
While we are still learning about how COVID-2019 affects people, older persons and persons with pre-existing medical conditions (such as high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease, cancer or diabetes) appear to develop serious illness more often than others.
