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.
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.
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