• by P.J. Bednarski  @pjbtweet, February 5, 2020

No, drinking Corona beer does NOT cause coronavirus  -- and Twitter posts that Clorox or Lysol can stop the virus are the latest social media #rumor.

Corona dealt with the totally baseless rumor about its beer earlier, by announcing that it presumed its customers were smart enough not to have such a simplistic reaction.

Meanwhile, shortly after the new coronavirus that is known as 2019-nCoV, or 2019 novel, burst into the news in China, some corners of social media have been abuzz that Lysol and Clorox, both famous for advertising how they kill germs, can take care of this virus, too.

Some consumers have noted on social media that Lysol states, right on its label, that it “kills” what it calls “human coronavirus.” The same sort of claim is made on Clorox containers, too.

“Bought @clorox wipes 2 months ago,” reads one tweet.  “But on package it says it kills the ‘human coronavirus’ WTF, I guess you guys got a good tip huh?”

On Twitter, another person tweeted,  “Look no ones gotta be scared anymore . [A]  simple 4.99 Lysol can will protect you from the corona virus.”

But the strain out there now is new and more deadly, and the CPG marketers are not precisely claiming their products could kill that specific virus.

Last week, Lysol and Clorox both posted an online explanation of what their products can and can’t do.

Lysol noted that coronaviruses are “a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases.”

Lysol recommended, “As with all infectious diseases, good hygiene can play a role in controlling its spread. However, the most important public health recommendation is that people report to the nearest health facility if they develop any symptoms indicative of coronavirus.”

A Q-and-A portion of the text noted, “Specific Lysol products have demonstrated effectiveness against viruses similar to 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) on hard, non-porous surfaces,” but doesn’t say the products work on this strain of the virus.

The Clorox Company posted a similar message on its website.

A husband and wife from Waukegan, far north of Chicago, have tested positive for the virus that has already killed 492 people, almost all of them in China, since it was first identified last month. There are 11 confirmed cases in the U.S.

In Joliet, Illinois in far south-suburban Chicago, two men, one wearing yellow medical mask and a sign on his back reading “Caution I have the coronavirus” entered a Walmart and sprayed Lysol on produce and other items.

Police are still searching for them, according to reports from local newscasts there.

Corona beer aside, the deadly virus is apparently having an effect on beer sales. In a call with reporters, Cees ‘t Hart, Danish beermaker Carlsberg’s CEO, reportedly warned of lower earnings because of the outbreak of the virus. Hart said many entertainment venues and restaurants are closed in Asian markets that are trying to stem the spread of the disease.