A picture may be worth a thousand words, but sometimes a word conjures a thousand pictures—including scary ones. One such word right now is “coronavirus.”

Brands that happen to have some associations to the word are finding themselves issuing unusual clarifications. Searches for “coronavirus beer” and “beer virus” have spiked sharply over the past couple weeks, according to Google Trends. In the Boston Globe, among other media, Corona beer owner Constellation Brands STZ.B -0.73% has been forced to express confidence in the analytical power of its customers to discern the disconnect between imported Mexican beers and the virus.

At the other end of the spectrum is disinfectant Dettol, which is flying off the shelves after social-media users discovered language on the back of the bottle asserting efficacy against “coronaviruses.” The manufacturer has clarified that Dettol has been tested against common-cold causing coronaviruses and the coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)—which is closely related to the Wuhan virus—but not the Wuhan strain itself. Meanwhile, Dettol owner Reckitt Benckiser RBGLY -1.29% said last week it had donated 50 million renminbi ($7.2 million) of cash and antibacterial products to help fight the virus’s spread. Its London-listed stock is up 4% over the past month. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control simply recommends frequent hand washing with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer as a key prevention measure against the Wuhan coronavirus. Related Video About 3,700 passengers and crew on a cruise ship docked in Japan are being quarantined on the vessel after 10 people tested positive for the novel coronavirus. A passenger talked about his time aboard the Diamond Princess. Photo: Behrouz Mehri/Getty Images Write to Nathaniel Taplin at nathaniel.taplin@wsj.com

Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8