Fighting Misinformation Surrounding the COVID-19 Pandemic

During this unprecedented healthcare crisis a second hazard has arisen: bad advice about avoiding and treating COVID-19 spread on social media. This alarming development during a global pandemic is concerning. 

Examples of inaccurate messaging about the virus include a chain email from a “member of the Stanford hospital board” that stated merely sipping water could wash the virus down your throat allowing your stomach acid to kill it and a recipe for homemade hand sanitizer made with vodka and aloe gel that was handed out.

There are several legitimate sources for information on COVID-19, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Frequently Asked Questions page and the World Health Organization’s Myth busters page.

This week Dr. Robert H. Shmerling, Faculty Editor at Harvard Health Publishing, also warned about conspiracy theories and unfounded claims that are circulating on social media. He pointed to hoaxes that claim the US government had created and patented a vaccine for coronavirus years ago and suggest drinking bleach or snorting cocaine can cure coronavirus infection as misleading posts that could be especially damaging.

This virus is here, and many are scared. Before fear drives you to press ‘share’ after reading a social media post, take a deep breath and check the source. Let’s not make a difficult situation worse.