Don't let misinformation hijack your emotions

(via.UN )

COVID-19, a public health emergency, has led the world into an unprecedented social and economic crisis, and also caused a political and trust crisis.

According to a study published in B.M.J (the British Medical Journal), more than a quarter of the most viewed videos about COVID-19 on YouTube contain misleading information.

These false information producers, for various purposes, use lies to fill in the information gaps that science still can't answer, including providing groundless treatment methods to meet people's desperate desire for hope.

Rumors in social media

According to a report circulated on social networks, a group of students at a leading Indian university has found a way to treat the virus, which has been accepted by the World Health Organization as an effective drug. The cure for the virus is easy, with one teaspoon of black pepper and two teaspoons of honey mixed for five days, the report said.

In Iran, the use of so-called "traditional" and "Islamic" anti coronavirus drugs has been sought after by some as the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths rises. A drug called Imam Kazim's medicine has been touted on social media as a cure for the virus. Some claim that they or others they know have recovered from the use of the drug. Iran's state television recently aired an interview with a man claiming to be in traditional medicine. The man claimed that there was no need to wear a mask and that salt could be used to provide protection. In another interview, another "expert" alleged that bee venom could cure the virus.

Uzbekistan: drinking plenty of water and alcohol helps prevent COVID-19.

Japan: the governor of Osaka claimed that the mouthwash containing povidone iodine was effective in fighting the COVID-19, causing people to rush to buy such products.

Morocco: many of the so-called tips for preventing new coronavirus infection spread on the Internet include: sunlight and high temperature can kill the new coronavirus, hot bath can prevent the virus and so on.

Zimbabwe: many believe that the covid-19 only infects the rich.

"Conspiracy theory" about virus

Although COVID-19 has infected 22.1 million people and 780000 people died, some people still believe that the severity of the epidemic has been exaggerated, and some even suspect that the covid-19 does not exist at all.

According to a professionally produced video, the top infectious disease expert of the U.S. government, Anthony forge, made the covid-19 and shipped it to China. Others claim that Microsoft founder Bill Gates has implanted fertility material or microchip into the vaccine.

Others spread that the government wanted to get rid of the burden of the elderly, so it came up with the idea of using the virus to eliminate the elderly. Others believe that COVID-19 is a super biological weapon made by the laboratory.

Lebanon: according to a screenshot of the so-called British government website, covid-19 is just a common influenza, which is not dangerous for healthy people except for those with underlying diseases and underlying diseases, and can be treated with paracetamol.

Moldova: it has been claimed that masks are useless and people are called on to wear them for commercial profit.

Jordan: some people think that covid-19 is a lie and is being used by some countries for political and economic purposes.

America: some people think that covid-19 is a conspiracy of democratic and liberal doctors, journalists and federal officials to use the exaggeration of the virus threat to weaken president trump politically and make him unable to be re elected.

Germany: the chairman of the Jewish Central Committee says more and more people believe that Jews are collectively responsible for the spread of the virus.

COVID-19 and 5G?

Among these conspiracy theories, the most typical one is that the epidemic situation is linked with the latest communication technology 5G. In the early days of the outbreak, a new generation of 5g communication technology was being used to spread the epidemic, causing the destruction of some 5g transmission towers around the world.

"Scientists and experts have made it clear that there is no scientific evidence that the spread of the new coronavirus is related to 5G or any other electromagnetic network transmission. But people are keen on conspiracy theories. Once someone comes up with it, others will be happy to spread it, whether they believe it or not."