Be alert! Coronavirus fake news is everywhere
Coronavirus is spreading across the world and so is news about its carriers, causative agents and fake cures. Social media platforms like Twitter, Youtube and Facebook are now flooded with fake news or coronavirus related misinformation. WHO itself has come forward to clarify some of these ‘dodgy claims’. You would be surprised to learn that from 5G to Cookies have been listed as virus carriers.
Few of the fake news which is in circulation, which I came across
Take oregano oil, vitamin C or saltwater to prevent Coronavirus infection
Any time a new infection gets reported, all the natural medicine groups would come out from their hiding with miracle cures. The one which is getting circulated in the media is about the usage of oregano oil, vitamin C, and saltwater to prevent coronavirus. Please note coronavirus cannot be cured with any of these three.
5G is the actual culprit
These days 5G is blamed for everything, from cancer to death of birds. Very much like Rajnikanth movie, Robot 2.0. You might come across news which states that it’s 5G which has helped the spread of coronavirus. Again this is completely false.
How about blaming Corona Extra beer
According to Google trends searches for “corona beer virus,” “beer virus,” has increased several-fold post-January 18. This shows people believe that Corona beer is related to the deadly Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. Again this is completely false, there is no link between the Mexican beer and Chinese virus.
Boiled garlic water can cure coronavirus infection
The news claiming boiled garlic water helps in preventing or curing the virus is again completely wrong. There is again no evidence to prove this claim.
The message goes like this: The message reads “Good news, Wuhan’s coronavirus can be cured by one bowl of freshly boiled garlic water.Old Chinese doctor has proven it’s efficacy. Many patients have also proven this to be effective. Eight (8) cloves of chopped garlic add seven (7)cups of water and bring to boil., Eat and drink the boiled garlic water, overnight improvement and healing. Glad to share this.”
Avoiding Ice Creams And Cold Drinks to prevent coronavirus infection
Avoiding Ice Creams And Cold Drinks for the next 90 days to prevent coronavirus infection is the other one in circulation. The fact is there is no link between icecreams and coronavirus. If you come across this message, please do not forward it blindly.
Dettol can kill the deadly Wuhan coronavirus
Scientists have stated that there is no evidence to prove that Dettol can kill the deadly Wuhan coronavirus. This is again a piece of bogus news that is getting circulated.
HIV drug could STOP deadly disease Coronavirus cure in major breakthrough
Reuters initially reported that HIV medication was being tested to treat coronavirus symptoms. Soon social media was flooded with posts about the usage of Nelfinavir, one of the HIV medications, as a drug of choice to treat Coronavirus. There is no confirmation from any authoritative body to validate this claim.
In the coming days, we are going to see a lot more misinformation about Coronavirus. Fake news is not just about cause and cures, it is also about the number of people infected with it. Some sources are claiming that in China 2.8 million people are infected and 112,000 are dead. But according to China’s National Health Commission 6000 people are infected and over 130 people have died.
Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have already initiated measures to prevent the spread of false information. Facebook has hired three third-party fact-checking organizations to monitor content and help trigger warning labels regarding fake news. I hope they will be able to at least reduce the spread of these fake news and cures. In the mean time whenever you come across any post related to cause and cure for Coronavirus, please check for its authenticity and credibility, before sharing it.
