RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The new coronavirus pandemic is terrifying the world. On Thursday, March 12th, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the number of cases has exceeded 124,000 and that the disease has already been detected in at least 118 countries and territories.
Needless to say, the magnitude of this event is being matched by a great deal of disinformation. Below are some instances of false information on the subject.
India
In India, a politician in the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (the same as Prime Minister Narendra Modi) told the press that people could use urine and cow manure to cure the new coronavirus.
The cow is regarded as sacred in the country and the use of this animal’s urine in therapeutic cases is common. On Friday, March 13th, a religious group is to hold a celebration for the consumption of the fluid, despite alerts from health professionals about its effectiveness against the new coronavirus and the risks associated with its intake.
Iran
In Iran, one of the most secretive countries in the world, where the consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited, the rumor has circulated that the ingestion of alcohol could fight the virus. As a result, 40 people died from complications from drinking pure alcohol of the type used in cleaning products.
Italy
Italy is one of the countries most affected by the epidemic of the new coronavirus. Today, it is the second largest in number of confirmed cases, behind only China. No wonder the whole country is quarantined. Disinformation is also on the rise there. One of the most popular rumors concerns a vaccine, rumored to have been developed in Australia, and which could be used to fight the virus. Guess what? There is no such vaccine.
According to the story, the vaccine could only be found in Switzerland. This lie was spread in Venice in particular, in a leaflet distributed on the streets of the city. In it, there was an e-mail address and instructions for the deposit of €50 for the purchase of the vaccine. The fake story is good and, evidently, it brought hope to many people, but it eventually enriched only the scammer who propagated it.
France
If in India the rumor was about the use of cow urine, in France it was about using a drug — cocaine. Last week, the French government was forced to post on its official social media accounts to disprove the story. “No, cocaine does not protect you against the COVID-19. It is an addictive drug, which causes serious side effects and is harmful to people’s health,” the official message said.
Brazil
In Brazil, disinformation is also flowing in full force. One of the rumors speaks of a kind of home test, which would show whether the person has been contaminated by the disease: take a deep breath, hold your breath for more than 10 seconds. If you can do this without coughing, you are (supposedly) not infected–but you could be. Fake news is a serious matter and the Ministry of Health has set up a page devoted to monitoring these cases and checking the facts.
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