COVID-19: More Misinformation than Information?

Social media and messag- ing apps are becoming the main reasons behind the entire confusion

C O V I D - 1 9 : M o r e M i s i n f o r m a t i o n t h a n I n f o r m a t i o n ?

Akshat Thonangi

It's not often that you type some- thing of international concern and Google automatically shoots emergency SOS alerts at you. Coronavirus, thankfully renamed as COVID-19, by the WHO, before the Mexican beer manufacturer lost its market share. It is essentially a large family of RNA (Ribonucleic acid) viruses. In humans, several coron- aviruses are known to cause respira- tory infections, ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Severe acute res- piratory syndrome-related coron- avirus (SARSr-CoV-2) is a species of coronavirus that affects humans. This new respiratory virus was first identi- fied in Wuhan, Hubei Province, in China. A popular digital news plat- form aptly framed as to 'how coron- avirus spread to three nations through one British man who didn't visit China'. So, how did it all begin? A middle-aged businessman was attending a conference in Singapore and then passed it on to several com- patriots, while later on holiday in the French Alps, before finally being diagnosed back in Britain. Of those infected by the man, five have been hospitalised in France, five in Britain and one other man on the Spanish island of Mallorca. More than 100 people took part in the conference (in Singapore), including at least one Chinese national from Hubei province, the epicentre of the epi-

demic that has now left more than 900 dead. The epidemic has now reached the India shores, through Kerala, as its gateway. However, in this part of the world, fake news about coronavirus happens to be spreading faster than the virus itself. It doesn't come with a surprise that WhatsApp has been the prime medium for this. Would it too much too soon to say that the usual IT cell miscreants are behind this? Perhaps, we could wait. Although certain political party representatives have offered bizarre cures such as consuming cow urine and cow dung could be the cures, while another distributed cloves 'energised by mantras,' according to reports. It is probably safe to assume that most fake news on our WhatsApp family groups comes from the older generation, that fails to check for authenticity, due to their technical inability. The scale of the country's social media usage complicates the fight against misinformation. India is the biggest

market for the Facebook-owned messaging application, WhatsApp, has more than 400 million users in a country which has 468 million smartphones (2017). Some of the more absurd types of misinformation are in the form of medical advice, such as one message which claims that a bowl of freshly boiled garlic water can cure coronavirus, as told by an "old Chinese doctor, who has proven its efficacy". Another message, supposedly sent by UNICEF, advises people to refrain from junk food, desserts and other confectioneries. Also, to wash clothes more often, because corona virus remains on the fabric for the next nine hours. Strangely none of them has been confirmed by experts as the possible precautionary cure for their scientific reasons. Thus nothing can be taken seriously. Dr Harsh Vardhan led-Health Ministry, although under criticism for not being available for a timely comment, put in its best efforts towards the construction of make-shift quarantine zones. The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has advised all the National Sports Federations, including the BCCI, to 'ensure that no public gathering takes place in any sporting event.' However, certain decisions are still being deliberated. The ongoing IndiaSouth Africa ODI series will see medical camps being set-up at all match venues. The upcoming IPL season, like the English Premier League matches, currently underway, may have to take place behind closed gates, with no spectators! This happened after the EPL's governing body decided not to postpone the tournament.

As responsible netizens, it should be our moral obligation to curb the dissemination of misinformation that is adding to the already calamitous situation, with the WHO declaring the outbreak as a global pandemic.