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In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we look at some of the most searched for terms in the UK

Mar 18th, 2020

Over recent weeks the world has succumbed to the detrimental effects of COVID-19. With the virus spreading across continents, the number of cases rising and media coverage rife, there seems to be no escaping the reality of this contagious virus

In the past week alone, the effects of COVID-19 has meant that countries across the globe including Italy, Spain, America and Ireland are now on ‘lockdown’. This has resulted in many schools and businesses closing their doors for the foreseeable future, and sporting and music events being postponed.

With the UK facing the biggest public health crisis for a generation, people are understandably becoming anxious about the current and developing situation.

Here at Click, we understand that a large percentage of the population turn to Google when they have a question or concern they want answering. As the UK government is now stepping up measures in order to tackle the outbreak, it’s inevitable that related online searches are going to increase.

To find out, we looked at some of the most searched for coronavirus-related terms made over recent weeks.

Coronavirus anxiety

Since 22nd January the search term ‘coronavirus anxiety’ has fluctuated but over recent weeks there has been a significant increase. Worrying headlines and action taken by other countries will of course leave some Brits feeling anxious. This anxiety seems to have spiked on 13th March. This day saw the highest search volume for the term, closely followed by 11th March, which makes you wonder if specific updates in the news made people feel more anxious.

When will coronavirus end?

It’s the question the majority of the world’s population would like to know so it’s no surprise that the term ‘when will coronavirus end?’, has seen a sharp increase in the number of people searching it online. During the month of March, there has been a number of significant increases for people searching the term, but the highest number was recorded on 6th March. Although the UK government is now providing daily news updates regarding the issue, it’s unlikely that numbers will drop for this term any time soon.

What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

With cases of COVID-19 increasing on a daily basis and the government emphasising the importance of self-isolation if you start showing the symptoms of the virus, people have been searching online to see what the symptoms are. Since 4th February to more recently, there has been a huge increase in the number of searches for this term. With many people fearing they may catch the virus or potentially already have it; searching the symptoms online is often the first port of call for anyone worried about the pandemic.

Coronavirus stockpile?

With the possibility of the UK going into ‘lockdown’ over the coming weeks, many UK households appear to have started stockpiling food supplies and everyday products against the advice of the government and supermarkets bosses. As many shoppers are now stockpiling goods, it has led to reports of empty supermarket shelves. This has sparked panic among the wider population, with many people searching online to find out if they should follow suit.

How to treat coronavirus?

As yet, there is no treatment for the virus.The government advice is constantly changing, but many people are still searching online to find out how the virus can be treated. The highest volume of searches happened on 12th March, with a drop of nearly half of the number of searches the following day. This could suggest that the majority of the population now understand that the best treatment is to stay indoors and avoid interaction with members of the public.

These are only a fraction of the most searched for terms made over recent weeks; but it gives you an insight into the anxiety COVID-19 is causing across the country and questions members of the population want answered.

*Data and snippets taken from Google Trends

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