by ANNALAURA PERFECT
In our time, that of social media and mass communication, the metaphorical meaning of the word 'viral', 'spreading rapidly and gaining great popularity', seemed to have been stripped of all the elements of its linguistic etymology that justified its use in scientific and medical fields.
Search engines typing the word 'viral' on the web direct you to popular, searched and desired media content, where millions of views in a very short time create a coveted popularity.