At present, 1.5 billion people around the globe, more than one-fifth of the world’s population, have been told to stay at home and practice social distancing amidst the coronavirus outbreak.

With many more people staying home, phone,  internet and social media usage is at an all time high.

As you’d expect, this has resulted in a number of new hashtags to circulate online surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Some will be keeping people informed about the ever-developing situation; some are there as campaigns to encourage people not to leave home; and some are giving people hope during this difficult time.

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The EW team have decided to break down some of the most popular hashtags for your to stay informed and up-to-date.

#Coronavirus, #CoronavirusOutbreak, #CoronavirusUAE

The most obvious and, of course, the most popular. It’s mainly the go-to for major news outlets to keep the public updated on the latest developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. As well as the above hashtags, searching #COVID19 will give you some general information and advice about what to do to stay safe during the pandemic.

#SafeHands, #SafeHandsChallenge

This is an online campaign launched by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which is send a crucial piece of advice to the general public – wash your hands. Not only that, it’s there to inform everyone on how to properly wash your hands in order to maintain strict hygiene methods during this time. Celebrities like Selena Gomez and Olivia Wilde have already taken part in the challenge.

 

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A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on

#StayHome, #StayHomeSaveLives

Perhaps one of the most important hashtags to emerge from the coronavirus coverage on social media — #StayHome. It’s encouraging people to stay home to avoid crowded spaces in order to prevent the spread of the virus. It’s a campaign the UAE government has jumped on board, telling the public not to leave their homes unless it’s “absolutely necessary” to get essential supplies like food and medicine, or if you are person in an essential job.

The Burj Khalifa even lit up with the message #STAYHOME recently. A variation of the hashtag has also emerged, #StayHomeSaveLives, which sends the message: if you stay home, you’re saving lives by not spreading the virus.

 

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#StayHome #خلك_في_البيت

A post shared by Burj Khalifa (@burjkhalifa) on

#TogetherAtHome

Launched by WHO and Global Citizen, the #TogetherAtHome hashtag campaign is bringing music stars right into the comfort of your own home, from their own homes to perform live music to help people escape from the constraints of self-isolation. Thus far John Legend and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin have performed, and many others are set to follow suit.

#QuarantineAndChill

This is one of the lighthearted hashtags which has emerged out of self-isolation. It’s the coronavirus version of the well-known #NetflixAndChill – #QuarantineAndChill. This is a must-search to bring a smile to your face during the long days and weeks of social distancing.

#MyPandemicSurvivalPlan

Another funny hashtag bringing some humour into the difficult times we’re facing. Many people are sharing their pandemic “survival plans” on social media.

#WorkingFromHomeChallenge

With people in lockdown in countries across the world, many are working from home. This has resulted in the #WorkingFromHomeChallenge to emerge, with people documenting some extremely retable and funny tales about working from the confinement of their houses.

You can always trust the internet can really bring some light and humour to difficult times.

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Media: Twitter, Instagram. Main image: Amazon