It's not an awareness campaign if every single news station in the world is already talking about it, as well as google and social media sites displaying banners about it on their front pages, and most companies you know are sending you email related to this too. And if everyone is ordered to be in self-isolation anyway I don't think a practical joke by the forum will do anything to spread awareness.

News outlets even have to put an "Uplifting News" link because apparently this event is making thousands of people depresses.

By the way this "online virus" here is actually called ASCII art, some people find it trendy to put it on their usernames.