The intensity of Covid-19 spread during the second surge earlier this year is reflected in internet search queries made in the country, with ‘Covid vaccine near me’, ‘Covid test near me’, ‘Food delivery near me’, ‘Oxygen cylinder near me’ and ‘Covid hospital near me’ being among the top searched queries in the ‘near me’ category in India during 2021, according to Google.
Similarly, in the ‘How to’ category, the top five search queries were: ‘How to register for Covid vaccine’, ‘How to download vaccination certificate’, ‘How to increase oxygen level’, ‘How to link PAN with AADHAAR, and ‘How to make oxygen at home’. Shortage of oxygen cylinders grappled Covid-19 patients during the second surge, which lasted from late March till June. Notably, the peak interest in most of these Covid-related terms happened during April, but the search terms continued to top the charts even at the end of the year.
Comments