Football, coronavirus top Google searches

The coronavirus pandemic emerged the second most-searched item on Google in March. Kenyans wanted to know more about the symptoms of the disease and if there is a vaccine.

While on it, they also searched for information on the disease in Italy, the worst-affected country in the world.

Just like other previous months, football remained at the top. Fans searched details of Chelsea vs Liverpool and Manchester United vs Manchester City matches.

Kenny Rogers, the 81-year-old country music legend, who passed on March 20 was the third most-searched query. Rogers was famed for songs such as ‘The Gambler’ and ‘The Coward of the Country.’

He was followed at number four by Aurlus Mabele, a Congolese artist popularly known to his fans as “King of Soukous.” Mabele passed on in Paris after contracting Covid-19.

Project Loon was the fifth popular search, after President Uhuru Kenyatta announced the approval of Loon’s partnership between Google and Telkom Kenya to provide 4G internet access to remote areas in Kenya.

Hantavirus spread mainly by rodents was the sixth on the top search list. Searches for this virus came up after a man, who tested positive for the virus, died in Yunnan province in China.

Since the announcement of the first Covid-19 case in Kenya, Cabinet Secretary for health Mutahi Kagwe has been providing regular updates on the disease.

At number seven of the most-searched items, Kenyans wanted to know more about him.

British actor Idris Elba was the eight search query after he posted a video on social media announcing that he had contracted the virus.

Trending at number nine was a building sized asteroid that is approaching Earth in April.

According to the data collected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the asteroid is big enough and is moving fast enough to cause a major impact event on the planet.  

Last on the top ten search query was ‘sanitiser’. Kenyans wanted information on making hand sanitisers following a shortage.