Doctor Debunks 10 Coronavirus Misconceptions

There’s one more threat sweeping the world alongside the coronavirus, and that’s a storm of fake coronanews. No wonder that tech giants like Facebook and Google have joined forces to fight the spread of misinformation. Plus, WHO has announced that they “are not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an infodemic.” And it’s as dangerous as the virus itself.

Medical practitioners are getting on board. Faheem Younus, an infectious disease specialist and philanthropist, decided to finally clear the record and debunk all the myths. His Twitter post has been liked 140K times and counting, which shows that people care about getting their facts right.

With so many false tales surfing around, Prof. Younus’ list is a must-read for everyone. And, no, mosquitos don’t spread the virus. Keep that repellent for the camping season.

It’s no secret that deceptive messages spread faster. But it turns out that multiple strains of fake news wear people down. Researchers believe that “the more times a person is exposed to a piece of fake news, the more likely they are to become persuaded or infected.” If that info comes from an influential source, it escalates the spread way faster.

Jeff Hancock, a professor of communication at Stanford, knows the reason behind the appeal of fake information online. “Compared to real news, fake news tends to include information that is more surprising, upsetting, or geared to trigger anger or anxiety.” Any information that fits this description should always be fact-checked.