Since the inception of Coronavirus (COVID-19), many speculations are there regarding its origin and how to do prevention and cure.
People have exploited social media by spreading unconventional cures and methods. Every second on social media is about the new treatment that has been found to cure Coronavirus.
The Real Truth Of Corona Virus, COVID-19: Myths Busted! Click To Tweet
All these fake news is declaring vague by WHO. But people are just not ready to believe the depth of the Situation. Tech companies are finding it hard to curb this surge of fake news and social media rumors about Coronavirus.
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What are the fake rumors that spread about Corona-virus?
- When first the Coronavirus being detected in China, people claimed that this virus is being cooked in one of the labs in China. Many, including Bill Gates (Co-Founder of Microsoft), has been blamed for the spreading of the virus. Italy, which is the second country after china that is most affected by the illness, started marching, saying China is the real conspirator behind the spreading of the virus. But none is genuine.
- Now the debate has shifted to the cure of the virus. With the spreading of the virus with the death toll has passed, over 4000 people have started sharing videos and posts regarding the treatment of the infection. The cure is based on the religious and spiritual values of the people. Some are saying having a bath in cow dung will help you cure the virus, and some are drinking cow urine to cure it. Some are reciting mantras to control the widespread of the virus.
- The cures through social media have no scientific background. Some are claiming to have a medicine that can cure the virus infected person. WHO has not approved of any such medication. There was a post on the social media of people claiming to have a vaccine for the virus. People are doing business out of this pandemic situation.
- Related to a sanitizer, there was a post on social media that it won’t help in preventing Coronavirus. The fake claim was there that anti-bacterial sanitizers will not work in cleaning viruses. Where the health authorities have approved the use of sanitizers as an alternative to the soap as it contains alcohol. There is much fake news that has been spreading faster than the virus.
What are Social Media platforms doing to comprehend the situation?
With the outbreak of the Coronavirus, people are using the social media platform to share fake rumors and fake cures about it. This only makes the Situation more worse as people are panicking. Tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are doing their best to control the spread of fake news. These platforms are adopting the recommendations by the WHO and other health authorities.
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Facebook officials claimed that they have ban all the content that can spread miscommunication regarding the virus. After the fact-checkers checked the content, they marked the content as false so that it won’t get posted or spread. If any of the Facebook users try to share the content containing false information, a dialogue box pops up, saying the information in it is incorrect.
But this measure hasn’t stopped the users from sharing it on the private groups. Many are related to the fake origin of the virus shares among the private groups on Facebook. Many shared vague remedies of the drinks in certain combinations for the cure of the virus.
Twitter to their defense said they had reported the account of such informers as spam.
Google-owned YouTube has dozens of videos claiming the cure of the Coronavirus. Some have included that in Title, and some have shared links to their webpages in the comment section. The company has a policy of prohibiting the content which shows false and vague information.
Myths about Corona-virus that being cleared by WHO?
WHO organization from the start is issuing the notice regarding the precaution measures to take against the Coronavirus. But people have their own version of cure and myths related to the prevention of the virus.
Below are some of the myths by WHO.
Coronavirus Myth-1: Virus can be killed in cold or extremely hot weather
Fact– WHO has explained that there is no proof of killing of the virus in cold or hot weather. The virus is equally spreading in hot and cold countries.
Coronavirus Myth-2: Coronavirus spread can be prevented by taking hot baths
Fact– WHO denied this myth as irrespective of the bath temperature, the body temperature remains normal at 36-37 degrees Celsius.
Coronavirus Myth-3: With mosquito bite, there is a danger of spreading Coronavirus
Fact: According to the WHO, there is no such evidence claiming that mosquito bite can spread the virus. Generally, the virus is of the respiratory type, which can spread through droplets of the infected person when he or she sneeze or cough.
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Coronavirus Myth-4: Thermal scanners are known to detect person infected with Coronavirus
Fact: Thermal scanners are the only there to detect body temperature. It usually takes 10-14 days for an infected person to show symptoms like fever.
Coronavirus Myth-5: Only older people can be infected by the Coronavirus
Fact: People of any age can have this virus. But this is also a fact that older people with prior respiratory and other diseases are more vulnerable to the infection.
Conclusion
This is the time when we don’t rely on fake news but work together to fight the virus. Adopt standard precautions like washing hands frequently, use a mask when going outside, avoid going to crowded places.
Keep your surroundings clean and sanitized. If you have a cold, then quarantine yourself and seek the help of medical officials. Infected persons must wear a mask to avoid any droplet to come out in the air. Believe in the authenticated news.
General FAQs
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans. In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19.
COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don’t feel unwell. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness. People with fever, cough and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention.
People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets. This is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick. WHO is assessing ongoing research on the ways COVID-19 is spread and will continue to share updated findings.
