Coronavirus Search Interest Lags As New Cases Explode

As COVID-19 cases continue to spike across the United States, search interest in the virus and terms surrounding it has faded considerably. And while health and search experts say they don’t believe there’s a direct line between the two statistics, they acknowledge that declining interest online is certainly reflective of a larger societal problem.

To be clear, search interest in the coronavirus has hardly vanished. It topped news, music, and sports on Google on July 4, though it has regularly been outpaced by requests for weather reports since May. But compare the current numbers to what they were in March and it’s a precipitous drop.

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Hollywood or Porn Studios: Who’s Protecting Actors Better?

Mainstream Hollywood and the adult entertainment industry have always had an uneasy coexistence, but as both industries inch back toward shooting new content, they’re facing the same problem: How do you protect actors and crew in the COVID-19 world?

In some ways, the porn industry has a head start. Since 1998, adult performers have been screened regularly for HIV and other communicable diseases. And the industry keeps a broad database of who has been tested and their most recent test dates. That’s something that, until recently, was unthinkable in Hollywood.

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EA CEO Andrew Wilson: Here’s How We Prepared for a Pandemic

Andrew Wilson used to be on the road almost every week. These days, he’s washing dishes, doing the laundry, and helping homeschool his children. But as CEO of Electronic Arts, he’s also overseeing the most massive and fast-paced overhaul of how the game publisher operates in the company’s history.

All of EA’s 9,700 employees are working from home right now — and Wilson tells Digital Trends that the company is in no rush to get them back to the office.

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What refunds are due to you? Airlines, day care, hotels, gyms and more

As stay-at-home orders continue to stretch out, more and more Americans are taking a look at their recurring expenses (and some canceled plans) and pressuring those companies to issue refunds on their premiums and subscriptions.

It seems simple enough: Plans were canceled or services were unavailable due to the coronavirus pandemic, so you shouldn’t have to pay for those—or should at least receive a partial refund. It’s not always so cut and dried, though. While some companies have been proactive in offering financial recompensation, others have been reluctant to do so.

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Craft beer could be the latest COVID-19 victim 

While alcohol consumption is on the rise as people stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic, America’s craft brewers could be on the verge of a crisis that may well devastate the industry.

Because people are largely unable to visit taprooms, the small- and medium-size brewers that run them have lost a primary source of income—and many may not be able to weather an extended lack of customers.

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Housing market plunge looms thanks to coronavirus

The economic ripple effect of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is starting to spread. And the next victim looks to be the housing industry’s seller’s market.

March home sales fell 8.5%, according to the National Association of Realtors. And the months ahead will likely be notably worse, according to the group’s chief economist.

Read more at Fortune.com