Mythbusters : Beating the myths on COVID-19

COLOMBO (News1st) : With rumours concerning the coronavirus circulating on social media, News1st attempted to shed light on the reality to apprise the public with the facts. [embed]https://www.facebook.com/NewsfirstSL/videos/2469841653276735/[/embed] Here are some of the rumors debunked in series of episodes produced by News1st titled 'Mythbusters'.

• RUMOUR - The country will be on lockdown for six days from April 10 - 15. As a result there will be no supply of food and people will not be allowed to step outside their homes

• TRUTH - Dr. Seetha Arambepola, the spokesperson for the Task Force to combat COVID - 19 rejected such rumours.

• RUMOUR - Spraying turmeric water and hanging neem leaves at homes can protect a person from contracting COVID - 19

• TRUTH - There is no official evidence to that effect

• RUMOUR - The spread of coronavirus can be curbed under hot temperatures

• TRUTH -  The virus has been spreading in certain areas with high temperatures in Australia. There is no scientific evidence for this

• RUMOUR - Russian President Valdimir Putin had released 800 lions onto the streets to prevent people from leaving their homes

• TRUTH - The pictures circulating to this effect was a snapshot from a film that was shot in South Africa in 2016.

• RUMOUR - A cure has been found for COVID - 19

• TRUTH - The pictures on social media which seem like a box of capsules carrying the name Corona, is a testing kit for the Coronavirus.

• RUMOUR - Clapping together can destroy the COVID - 19 infection

• TRUTH - Scientists have said that the virus cannot be eliminated by clapping.

• RUMOUR - The Italian President is crying at the sight of the deaths taking place in the country.

• TRUTH - The picture circulating with such claims shows Brazilian President Jair Bolsanaro. It was captured during a media briefing on December last year when referring to an incident that had taken place in 2018.

• RUMOUR - 59 people have died after consuming Dettol provided by a Father in a church

• TRUTH - That was in 2014 when they had consumed Dettol as an anti-septic. No one had died as a result of that. The Father too had been arrested.

• RUMOUR - History is repeating itself once in every century. It is claimed that the plague had taken place in 1720, Cholera in 1820, Spanish Flu in 1920 and Coronavirus in 2020.

• TRUTH - The Plague had taken place in 1347, the Cholera in 1817, and Spanish Flu in 1918.

• RUMOUR - A new disease has been identified by the name of Hantavirus, and that one person has died.

• TRUTH - Hantavrius is transmitted from a rat to a human, and not from person to person.

• RUMOUR - People flown from Italy to Ethiopia were shot as they had started running after getting off an aircraft

• TRUTH - The visuals circulating in this regard are from a hostage rescue exercise in 2019.

• RUMOUR - UNESCO attacks India on Twitter

• TRUTH -UNESCO denies posting a tweet to that effect.

• RUMOUR - Doctors and patients stand outside as hospitals are crowded

• TRUTH - The picture circulating to this effect was following an earthquake in Croatia when the medical staff and patients had temporarily vacated the building.

• RUMOUR - Hydroxy Chloroquine and Azithromycine medicines can be used to prevent ourselves from COVID - 19.

• TRUTH -  Health authorities have not approved this medicine. This medicine is given to affected patients under the advice of physicians under prescription. A 4-year old boy who had consumed the medicine has experienced reverse effects.

• RUMOUR - Alternative medicines such as garlic can be used to prevent ourselves from being affected by the Coronavirus

• TRUTH - Such items will enhance the immune system but it will not cure Coronavirus.

• RUMOUR - A video believed to have originated from the University of Queensland in Australia stating that consuming bananas will help us to avoid being affected by the virus

• TRUTH - The University of Queensland has denied any relationship between bananas and coronavirus. This video had been created by merging two separate videos from ABC Australia and Wall Street Journal.

• RUMOUR - A video showing that people in Italy are fainting in the streets.

• TRUTH - The video depicts an artwork in Frankfurt, Germany on March 24, 2014 to demonstrate some features of a Nazi Camp.

• RUMOUR - The late Dr. Li Wenliang, who identified the coronavirus, has prescribed tea as a cure for the virus and that China has been using tea to cure its people.

• TRUTH - Medical experts have pointed out that it is false.

• RUMOUR - Video showing many people, believed to have died of COVID-19, were being dumped into a pit.

• TRUTH - The visuals were from a mini-series named Pandemic released in 2007.

• RUMOUR - A person who can hold his breath for 10 seconds has not been affected by the coronavirus.

• TRUTH - Medical experts have said it is false.

• RUMOUR - The sun is releasing a new wave or new virus.

• TRUTH - Scientists have confirmed that the sun does not emit a new wave.

• RUMOUR - The virus can be killed by 12 noon.

• TRUTH - The virus can remain in the environment from 3 to 9 days based on the area.

• RUMOUR - Drinking more alcohol and smoking excessively will prevent a person from being affected by the virus.

• TRUTH - Both these groups of people have more chances of being affected by the virus.

• RUMOUR - Those with the A+ blood group will not be affected by the virus.

• TRUTH - That has not been proven yet.

• RUMOUR - There is no place to keep coffins in Italy.

• TRUTH - A picture circulating to this effect was captured in 2014 and shows the coffins of those who had drowned from a ship.

• RUMOUR - A vaccine for the coronavirus has been discovered after testing it on 20 people at a hospital in Denmark.

• TRUTH - Testing is being carried out on humans in 200 more areas. The vaccine has not been identified yet and it is a long process.