Rumours Regarding Coronavirus
Written by Anaya Sharma, a grade 9 student.
Rumours have a very negative impact as this misinformation about ways to protect yourself or giving cures for the virus are not proven and are risking people’s lives and giving them a false sense of security
Written by Anaya Sharma, a grade 9 student
As we lay cooped up at home because of the lock-down, we are bombarded by news regarding Coronavirus. Although this helps us in sharing updates and precautions on a large scale, a lot of them are rumours or fake news
These rumours have a very negative impact as this misinformation about ways to protect yourself or giving cures for the virus are not proven and are risking people’s lives and giving them a false sense of security
So here are some rumours and the actual facts:
Rumour:
The WHO states not eating cabbage will protect you from the virus as the vegetable was ensuring the maximum stay of the virus in the body
Fact:
WHO has issued no such statement. Keep eating your vegetables if you want to be healthy
Rumour:
The virus will not survive in the heat and you should take hot baths to protect yourself.
Fact:
There is no proof that the virus doesn’t survive the heat. Make sure you don’t burn yourself if you like taking hot baths
Rumour:
Pets can transmit the disease
Fact:
WHO has confirmed that there is no animal to human transmission
Rumour:
5G is spreading the virus as it “weakens the immune system” or its waves transmit the virus
Fact:
5G does not spread the virus and is only a faster version of data transfer
What are some things YOU can do?
- Don’t blindly believe anything on the internet or any forwards you receive. You can always confirm these facts by looking them up on websites which are known to give verified information.
- If your family member or friends have sent something you know is fake, gently tell them the facts.
- Don’t forward any messages until you know for sure that its true as that increases the spread of misinformation.
- In case you don’t know how to verify these rumours, the Indian government has launched a chatbot on WhatsApp to address user queries and quell rumours on the coronavirus pandemic. The WhatsApp chatbot, ‘MyGov Corona Helpdesk’, can be accessed by sending a text to +91 90131 51515.
Stay home, stay safe and don’t believe in rumours!
Written by Anaya Sharma, a grade 9 student
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