For Americans, pandemic takes the fun out of April Fools’ this year

A view of a mostly empty Western Avenue near Pike Place Market during the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak in Seattle, Washington, US. In light of the pandemic, many social media users are calling for would-be hoaxers to skip the jokes this year, no matter how good-natured. — Reuters

NEW YORK: With life in most of the United States grinding to a halt and the economy set to tip into a recession or worse, Americans appear to have no appetite for April Fools' Day this year.

By tradition, pranksters stretch the limits of believability on April 1, creating fictitious news stories or products, often on social media, in the hopes of tricking the gullible and generating laughs.