There is now ‘coronavirus porn’ just because

Because nothing is more erotic than a global viral epidemic, there is now coronavirus porn and (some) people are loving it.

The virus, which has killed more than 3,200 people and infected more than 92,000 others around the globe, has now led to a surge in “coronavirus porn” tags on Pornhub.

At the time of writing, there are 159 results for a "coronavirus" search on the site.

While many of the videos simply have the coronavirus tag but entirely unrelated content, there are a fair number containing performers having sex in hazmat suits and face masks as well as others taking place in laboratories.

Why are people making these videos and, more pressingly, why are others watching them?

People are thirsty, there’s no shame in that, but why would respiratory tract infections do the job? It's understandable that some may come to the conclusion that, in this particular instance, kink shaming might be justified.

But that doesn't necessarily seem fair.

Porn duo Spicy and Rice are an example of the people creating this kind of content. Spicy told Vice:

I think people are attracted to COVID-19 themed porn the same way people who are scared of their shadow are attached to horror movies: We are all searching for things that make us come alive

COVID-19 is something that brings fear and mystery to pretty much everyone in the world right now... You need to be able to feel something, and what better way to make you feel something than the global crisis we are all in right now.

Others are attempting to use porn for, err, educational purposes. In a video entitled COVID-19 Coronavirus: Horny Slut Has to Use Protection During Outbreak! one of the performers responds to his partner's "I'm horny!" cries by saying: "Wait, don't you move a foot closer. Haven't you heard of COVID-19?"​ and explaining the severity of the outbreak.

Clearly, Rule 34 is as alive and well as ever. But it's not just coronavirus-themed porn that's gaining popularity.

Porn site xHamster offered to provide free premium access to anyone in a severely affected region, and the surge in demand was overwhelming.

It's oddly reassuring to think that even in times of huge distress, the human desire for intimacy and connection is not lost.

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