Paradoxes
The search intensity for “Coronavirus” is falling even though Nigeria is beginning to see a sharp increase in the number of confirmed cases. But this seems to be typical.
After the country’s index virus case was confirmed, Nigerians hit the internet so that interest jumped from 8 to 52 overnight. Then the frenzy slowed to an interest of 6 over the subsequent week.
(Google measures interest by comparing the number of searches in a timeframe to the highest point for that period –the last 90 days- in this case. A value of 100 is the peak popularity for the term. A value of 50 means that the term is half as popular. A score of 0 means there was not enough data for this term.)
After Nigeria recorded its second case on March 9, the search for “Coronavirus” picked up a second time and eventually peaked (100 search interest) when a total of 10 new cases were confirmed on March 23rd pushing overall cases to 40.
From that time, the number of new cases recorded in a day has been an average of 14.89 but searches for “Coronavirus” has steadily dropped to 64 (March 30th)
“COVID-19” and “COVID 19” which are less popular searches and are following a similar trajectory.
While it is unclear why the interest in coronavirus is falling, data show that Lagos and Abuja, states at the epicentre of the country’s outbreak, are showing low interest in “Coronavirus” and related searches compared to many states yet to see an outbreak.
Lagos (65) and Abuja (56) rank low compared to Yobe (69), Zamfara (80), Niger (69), Taraba (94), Kogi (100) among several others.
With keywords such as “coronavirus Nigeria”, “coronavirus in Nigeria”, “coronavirus update”, “coronavirus news” and “corona” as highest searches, it seems to be that states with cases believe they have sufficient information already while those without any case yet are petrified about the virus.
There’s life despite a pandemic
Coronavirus is not the only thing on the mind of Nigerians. In the time of crisis, Nigerians have been looking up other things on the internet and Google’s Daily Trend suggests familiar comfort in music and comedy.
Here are some of the biggest daily trends over the past few weeks.
Obesere and Zlatan’s Egungun remix, “Who is Abba Kyari”, Prophet T.B Joshua (both related to coronavirus), DMW’s New Single “Mafa Mafa”, Akure’s ‘Meteorite’, Moratorium, Ultimate Love, Sophie Brussaux (Foreign artiste Drake’s son’s mom), late Nipsey Hussle, Sarz (Nigerian DJ), Brymo’s Yellow album, Hantavirus, Google classroom, and Harvey Weinstein.
Not interested in Handwashing?
Only six states seem to be interested in handwashing even though it is being preached on almost every medium.
Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Edo, Rivers and Abuja are the only states with data for handwashing suggesting searches in other states are too low to be captured by Google.
Of the six states, Oyo has the highest interest in handwashing with 100 interest intensity while Lagos and Edo have the least (32 and 31 respectively.)
However, more Nigerians think using the face mask can be more effective although most states in the North West, North East and South East and a handful in North Central differ.
Hand sanitizers are more widely seen as an effective preventive measure except in the North West and some parts of the North East.
Search for a cure
The interest in a cure for COVID-19 is waning since it peaked a day after the country’s confirmed cases hit 40. This could mean Nigerians are finding wisdom in the Beetle’s “Let it be” and concerning themselves with other affairs.
The “search for a cure” has dropped from an intensity of 100 on March 24 to just 33 on March 30.
Interestingly, the trend could also be as a re-ignition of interest in Chloroquine as a treatment for the virus with searches for the restricted-use malaria-drug rising more recently after an initial decline.
The word “vaccine” has followed a similar trend.
Rivers is serious about a stimulus package
Since March 21 there has been an increasing interest in “Stimulus Package” but only three states are driving that internet traffic.
In the last 30 days only Lagos, River and Abuja have hit the internet for a stimulus package, although with 100 search interest in Rivers, compared to 11 in Lagos and 4 in Abuja.
