If we survey the queries on Bible Gateway that are trending above normal this week, they fall into three main categories: the end of the world, disease, and fear. Also bats.

[Read these 5 Bible verses when you feel anxious]

As happens in many geopolitical crises (most recently, the conflict between the USA and Iran in January), queries like “end of the world,” “signs of the end times,” and “last days” are trending higher: about 47% of spiking queries relate to this topic.

Similarly, queries related to diseases are jumping: “diseases,” “viruses,” “plagues,” “sickness,” and “hand washing” comprise another 47% of the increased total.

The remaining 6% of elevated queries relate to fear: queries like “fear,” “anxiety,” and “fear of illness” have all increased.

Finally, in February, the query “bats” was up 70x over normal in Singapore, and only in Singapore, after reports suggested that the novel coronavirus spread from bats.

Browse resources in the Bible Gateway Store that pertain to trusting God