Pundemic (pun + pandemic)
A pandemic of jokes might be called a “pundemic” (pun + pandemic). “America’s decades-long ‘pundemic’ originated, West explains, in a fertile matrix” was printed in The Thoreau Society Bulletin in 1999 (this Google Books date may not be correct). “It’s a pundemic!” was posted on Twitter by Spiderkitten on July 2, 2007.
The “pundemic” portmanteau was popular during the 2009 swine influenza. “A non-punnable pandemic (pundemic?) would be the ultimate nightmare” was posted on Twitter by Paul Simper on April 27, 2009. “There are so many jokes about swine flu going round I’m beginning to fear a pundemic” was posted on Twitter by Melanie Griffiths on April 30, 2009.
The “pundemic” portmanteau was also used during the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic. “The unstoppable sharing of bad jokes about the Coronavirus is turning into a pundemic” was posted on Twitter by Ruth Mills #FBPE on February 26, 2020. “So many coronavirus jokes are going viral, it a real pundemic!” was posted on Twitter by Ҝ𝕪ℓเ𝑒 ᒎ𝓸𝕣∂𝕒ή on March 13, 2020. “The amount of bad Covid-19 jokes being circulated is starting to reach alarming figures. Some scientists suspect that it might be a pundemic” was posted on Reddit—Jokes on March 22, 2020.
Wikipedia: 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak
The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei, China, in December 2019, and was recognised as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020.
Google Books
The Thoreau Society Bulletin
Issues 226-245
1999
Pg. 5:
America’s decades-long “pundemic” originated, West explains, in a fertile matrix: the mechanistic language lessons inflicted on schoolchildren; the new republic’s impulse to create a fresh national language (variously imagined); philologists’ “unscientific yet imaginative” (and theologically tendentious) search for the Ur-language of humankind; vivid folk etymologies; and a consuming passion for wordplay shared by citizens in every walk of life.
Twitter
Spiderkitten
@spiderkitten
It’s a pundemic! :D
10:21 AM · Jul 2, 2007·Twitter Web Client
Twitter
Paul Simper
@simperman
Replying to @caitlinmoran
@caitlinmoran A non-punnable pandemic (pundemic?) would be the ultimate nightmare.
9:28 AM · Apr 27, 2009·Twitter Web Client
Twitter
B is for Beard
@BisforBeard
#swineflu latest-After unconfirmed reports of flying pigs and people not feeling perky there are fears this could become a pundemic x
2:26 PM · Apr 27, 2009·Twitter Web Client
Twitter
Melanie Griffiths
@cricconundrums
There are so many jokes about swine flu going round I’m beginning to fear a pundemic.
12:51 PM · Apr 30, 2009·Twitter Web Client
Twitter
CarmelValleyGirl
@CVGrrl
RT @BeccaPiano: I think I immediately need to impose a mortadellatorium on my doing any more damn pig jokes for quite a while. #pundemic
8:37 PM · May 1, 2009·Twitter Web Client
Twitter
Becca Piano
@BeccaPiano
Well, at least I’m going to refrain from telling knockwurst-knockwurst jokes. #pundemic #hamthrax #swineflu
4:37 PM · May 2, 2009·Twitter Web Client
Twitter
Sheena is a Pun
@Pundemic
Q:Why did the Tweep post a link to WHO website BEFORE his pig joke? A: As we all know, URL’s before swine. #pundemic #swineflu
5:12 PM · May 2, 2009·Twitter Web Client
Twitter
Lance Harris
@lanceha
Replying to @CharlesLeeZA
@MandyLdeWaal I think I may have swine flu because because I’m trotting out a lot of pig jokes. It’s a pundemic.
5:37 AM · May 7, 2009·Twitter Web Client
Twitter
Ruth Mills #FBPE
@ruthmills
The unstoppable sharing of bad jokes about the Coronavirus is turning into a pundemic.
3:22 AM · Feb 26, 2020·Twitter for Android
Twitter
Doc
@DocAtCDI
My greatest fear connected to Corona is that horrible jokes about it will go viral.
You know, a pundemic.
9:16 PM · Mar 10, 2020·Twitter Web App
Twitter
Ҝ𝕪ℓเ𝑒 ᒎ𝓸𝕣∂𝕒ή
@Lavish_Fixation
So many coronavirus jokes are going viral, it a real pundemic!
9:58 AM · Mar 13, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
Twitter
Sanaya Maheshwari
@Sarcaswari
All the Coronavirus jokes out there on twitter, it’s a PUNdemic.
5:48 AM · Mar 21, 2020·Twitter Web App
Reddit—Jokes
Posted by u/TheOffendedIndian March 22, 2020
The amount of bad Covid-19 jokes being circulated is starting to reach alarming figures
Some scientists suspect that it might be a pundemic.
Twitter
Dad Jokes
@Dadsaysjokes
The amount of bad coronavirus jokes is starting to reach worrying numbers.
Some scientists claim it might be a pundemic.
5:06 PM · Mar 21, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
Twitter
Punnit - The Wordplay Gameshow Podcast
@thepunpodcast
Way too many Corona jokes out there. It’s becoming a bit of a pundemic.
6:00 AM · Mar 22, 2020·Twitter for iPhone