By Jacobo Silva Pérez, Reporter
Lead Photo by: CDC
With more than a million cases over the world and 52,000 deaths, the new COVID-19 virus has been the topic everyone is talking about. However, not everything we hear is true.
In the last 3 months, the Coronavirus has spread throughout every news article. Over that time, myths and fake news have developed around the communities causing millions of scared people to be tricked.
Some of the myths and rumors that have been exposed and debunked by the World Health Organization (WHO) are:
- Vaccines against pneumonia cannot protect you from the Coronavirus.
- The new coronavirus can’t be transmitted by mosquitoes.
- Cold weather and snow cannot kill the virus.
- Drinking alcohol does not protect from COVID-19.
- Holding your breath for 10 seconds does not mean that you are free from the coronavirus.
- Exposing yourself to temperatures higher than 25C degrees does not protect you from the virus.
- Coronavirus can be transmitted in all places to all people.
The problem with rumors about this virus is that it influences people to take the wrong precautions. Even though you could be the only one believing these myths, if you get sick with COVID-19, you could expose either friends or family to the illness and develop a serious outbreak of Coronavirus in your community.
It may sound like an exaggeration, but the Coronavirus spreads as fast as misleading media does. That’s why we need to be critical about the information we read online. Next time you read another COVID-19 article, check for the credibility of the author and their sources and look for the most recent information.
It is important to be calm and informed rather than being scared and exposed. Don’t believe everything you read online. Like the WHO Director – General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu said in an article of the United Nations news, “This is a time for facts, not fear. This is a time for rationality, not rumors. This is a time for solidarity, not stigma.” So, please, in order to protect yourself and your loved ones and inform yourself correctly.
Sources:
The World Health Organization
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters
The United Nations News
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