The global coronavirus scare has finally reached India with authorities confirming 29 cases of people diagnosed with the COVID-19 disease. Over 95,000 confirmed cases have been reported worldwide, with over 3,200 people dead.
It is no laughing matter but the internet has its way of finding humour in the unlikeliest of situations.
Guests on an American news channel, as shown in the latest episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, were discussing whether eating Chinese food can make one “get the coronavirus”. (The virus reportedly originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan). An American public relations firm concluded that 38% Americans wouldn’t buy Corona beer “under any circumstances” at this point, which is the backstory behind this meme.
Particularly in India, which appeared to have been relatively immune to the outbreak until recently, the pandemonium has been intense. On one hand, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath suggested yoga has a cure for the disease, and on another, a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA endorsed cow urine and cow dung for the same.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Twitter that he will skip Holi celebrations this year to avoid the spread of infection. But BJP workers in West Bengal decided to make a show of distributing facemasks with his name printed on them. By the way, according to healthcare experts, facemasks aren’t quite effective in protecting those wearing them from contracting the disease.
On Twitter, Hindutva ideologue Vivek Agnihotri proposed smoking weed as a cure for the disease. A report in Buzzfeed pointed out that some of the most-watched YouTube videos about the outbreak have been from India – and, of course, they have been prime sources of half-truths and bogus claims. All these have been a goldmine for the funny people.
Comedian Saloni Gaur, who has been on a roll since December last year, held forth in her popular Nazma Aapi avatar, leaving quite a stinger at the end of her video about identifying people by the clothes they wear.
Also read: Explainer: There is no need to panic about Coronavirus, but don’t forget to wash your hands
The funnies coming out of India have been laced with commentary on the widespread communal violence witnessed in North East Delhi. In the BBC cartoon below, a political leader asks a technician to make one virus Hindu and another Muslim and pit them against each other.
Author Samit Basu took a dig at the obsession of Indian news channels with balancing opinion in primetime debates.
Outside India, in countries that have been most affected by the outbreak, the public has found novel ways to greet each other which doesn’t involve shaking hands (and spreading germs).
Some Iranians, as seen here, have resorted to the bum-bump. Indian Twitter quickly rushed to mention in the comments how the greeting norm of namaste is the best.
Somewhere in Iran, doctors and health officials were filmed dancing to spread cheer as they had to deal with countless COVID-19 patients. Some Twitter users ominously pointed out that public dancing is illegal in Iran – which is true.
Among the coronavirus-related news that has led to a wealth of jokes is the World Health Organisation’s advice of washing hands for as long as it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice so as to prevent the virus. This Twitter user here came up with a thread full of songs whose 20-second choruses can do the job just as well.
This Guardian piece has a similar playlist, and its funniest inclusion for those wanting to sing and wash hands but have a bad singing voice is John Cage’s iconic 4′33″, which is just literally silence.
Speaking of coronavirus-related songs, Quartz reported that there are at least 65 new songs on Spotify with the word “Coronavirus” in their title. While the most-streamed song is a straightforward track imploring listeners to wash hands and maintain hygiene, another track uses the virus as a metaphor for “toxicity in relationships”.
This extremely catchy song here, released by the Vietnamese health department, has become popular worldwide after being featured on John Oliver’s show.
The song has made it to TikTok as well.
Someone created a new joke-tweet format in which a famous singer is interrupted by the American agency Centers for Disease Control and Prevention while singing about touching and related behaviours. Here are two made with the lyrics of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline and Touch Me by The Doors.
In Australia, the newspaper The NT News did its part to help readers in the wake of a toilet paper shortage in the country by printing eight extra pages in its latest edition.
Similar to Agnihotri’s tweet about weed as a cure, here are a couple about alcohol.
Obviously, The Simpsons had predicted it all – back in 1993.
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