![]() Cures, treatments and preventative measures ![]() This misinformation is making it difficult for the voices of healthcare organisations to be heard, the consequences of which may only become apparent as the virus accelerates outside China. Misinformation is drowning out official advice Although they may not directly cause harm, they are adding to a climate of distrust where the public is treating official sources with growing scepticism ( see INTERNATIONAL: Conspiracy theories cost societies dear - December 19, 2019). A number centre around the virus as a bioweapon, while others have claimed that the Gates Foundation played a role in the outbreak. Conspiracy theoriesĬonspiracies constitute a considerable portion of the misinformation relating to COVID-19. Researchers from the University of East Anglia (United Kingdom) this month modeled the effect of misinformation on infectious disease and found that reducing harmful advice just by 10% reduced people's risky behaviour that propagates the disease, such as not isolating themselves if they have symptoms. This could undermine efforts to limit the outbreak's spread. Nonetheless, suspicion opens the door to speculation that may be transferred onto the WHO, which could make some people less inclined to heed the organisation's advice. However, allegations of a large-scale cover-up and deliberate misreporting of figures are unsubstantiated and directly contradict the WHO, which has praised the Chinese response. It is likely that Chinese officials made serious misjudgments in the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak and so made the situation worse ( see CHINA: COVID-19 outbreak will weaken Xi - February 27, 2020). The Chinese government is known to employ secrecy, censorship and propaganda, which has undermined the public's trust in the information that they provide. In part, this is due to the different motivations of those who are creating and disseminating it each form poses a distinct challenge. The COVID-19 outbreak has been associated with a wide and evolving range of misinformative content. Due to the growing body of misinformation circulating about the virus, this advice is often not reaching the intended audience, or is being disregarded. Human-to-human transmission is through respiratory droplets - the most important advice relates to handwashing, respiratory hygiene, avoidance of touching one's face, food safety practices with animal products and following official guidance regarding when and how to seek medical advice. Efforts to produce a vaccine are underway, as are trials of treatments, but none are yet proven ( see INTERNATIONAL: Science may shorten COVID-19 duration - February 28, 2020). ![]() ![]() Current estimates are predominantly based on figures from China and suggest a fatality rate of between 2% and 3%. This strain usually causes mild respiratory symptoms in humans but can lead to breathing difficulties and in some cases death. It is likely that a 'wet market' in Wuhan, China, was responsible for the first cases of animal-to-human transmission. The strain responsible for the COVID-19 outbreak had not previously been seen in humans. Most strains found in humans cause mild respiratory tract infections. Misinformative content could decrease public trust in governments and reputable organisations, such as the WHO.Ĭoronaviruses are a family of viruses found in animals and humans.Mistakes by authorities in handling the outbreak will feed conspiracy theories.Crowdsourcing the response to misinformation, as Wikipedia has been doing, might be effective.New developments, including the discovery of further cases outside China, the release of epidemiological data and the commencement of clinical trials for a vaccine, will likely trigger new misinformative content, hampering efforts to bring the outbreak under control. The efficacy of responses to control this 'infodemic' will probably vary from country to country and depend on the public's trust of the authorities. The misinformation, which includes false 'cure' claims, conspiracy theories and misleading information on the spread of the virus, is set to expand. In early February the WHO called this an 'infodemic'. The World Health Organization (WHO) on February 28 joined social media platform TikTok in order to share infromation about the COVID-19 outbreak. The WHO has been forced to divert significant attention and resources to battling swathes of misinformation, which are hampering the efforts of the organisation and governments to check the spread of COVID-19. The coronavirus outbreak has fuelled misinformation across social and traditional media Misinformation will undermine coronavirus responses
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