Due to the increased outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19), a number of false news and rumors regarding the novel virus are being circulated on social media.
While some claim the do’s and don’ts, other pieces talk about the causes and prevention. Not all are to be believed though, because you never know what may or may not be true. Hence it is advised, especially at a time like this to do thorough fact checking before passing it on to more people on your WhatsApp, Facebook groups and other social mediums.
One such case is that of a random circular which was seen floating around on social media. The document was titled UNICEF and had a number of precautions and causes stated. One of which quoted the importance of avoiding cold items and ice cream as they may cause coronavirus. UNICEF Pakistan and World Health Organization immediately released an official statement on their social media handles, calling this out as fake news.
Since then there has been an outburst of reactions as people along with top twitteratis and well-known personalities have voiced their opinion regarding this. Following are some tweets talking about misinformation and how it’s creating more chaos:
- Abdullah Sultan
Program anchor at Geo News, Abdullah Sultan shared his take on this topic and wrote ‘kindly refrain from creating more chaos’.
- Fareshteh Aslam
CEO of Talking Point, Fareshteh Aslam prompted her followers to be more vigilant about what’s being shared about COVID-19.
- Rabia Anum Obaid
TV host, Rabia Anum Obaid tweeted that rumors spread rapidly, please don’t spread fake news.
- Farah Iqrar
Broadcast Journalist, Farah Iqrar tweeted saying don’t create further panic by promoting false claims about COVID-19.
- Faizan Lakhani
Sports Journalist, Faizan Lakhani addressed his followers, claiming the news to be fake.
To keep you informed, following are some facts stated by UNICEF Pakistan:
- The virus spreads through direct contact
- Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath while in severe cases it can cause pneumonia
- Wearing a mask doesn’t prevent COVID-19, but if you’re coughing or sneezing wear it to protect others.
- To date, there is no medicine to prevent or treat COVID-19.
- The best treatment is to practice basic hygiene.
Following are four preventive actions you and your family can take to avoid the virus:
- Wash your hands frequently using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue when coughing or sneezing. Dispose of used tissue immediately.
- Avoid close contact with anyone who has cold or flu-like symptoms.
- Seek medical care early if you or your family member has a fever, cough or difficulty breathing.
For more information please refer Unicef Pakistan (https://www.unicef.org/pakistan/) or World Health Organisation (https://www.who.int/)
