Exposing the Myths on COVID19
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, an outbreak of false information is spreading online. Whether it’s via WhatsApp messages or rogue Facebook posts, fake news always has a way of reaching people. Keeping track of what’s real and what’s fake isn’t always easy especially when there is a lot of panic. Accurate information is key not only to making decisions that protect you, your family, and your community during this public health crisis, but also as a means of reducing panic. If you learn something brand new from a friend, social media, or elsewhere, you should always check its accuracy against a trusted source. The truth about how you can catch coronavirus, who is most vulnerable and what you can do to avoid infection is essential, and addressed here.
- Black people cannot really be affected by the virus as they are more resistant
- This disease affects black people too. There are reported cases of contaminated people everywhere across many African countries. Statistics show an increasing number of COVID19 patients amongst Cameroonians which is a mainly black population.
- The virus affects only older and not younger people
- The virus affects all age groups and there have even been pediatric cases reported. But then some of these older people who may be coping with diseases like Cancer, diabetes, and kidney disease are more likely to suffer with a severe form of the virus.
- The virus is not transmitted in hot climatic or tropical regions
- There’s not enough scientific evidence to show that this virus can be destroyed by climatic condition. It is a respiratory virus that occurs in the respiratory tract, so climate has nothing to do with the mode of transmission of the disease. Besides, a lot of cases have been reported in Africa and Sub Saharan Africa which has a very hot climate
- To test if you are COVID19 free, you should be able to hold your breath for 10 seconds without any difficulties. If you are not able then you may be infected.
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- This is misleading information because difficulties in breathing can occur in a range of cases not related to COVID19. For example, people have chronic lung diseases, chronic smokers and people with lung cancer may have problems doing that, it doesn’t mean they have COVID19.
- The virus affects mostly the rich
The mechanics of transmission portray that so long as you come in contact with someone having the virus, you are going to be infected. It doesn’t depend on whether you are rich or poor.
- Drinking alcohol, hot drinks and bleach kills the virus
- There’s no shown effectiveness between drinking and killing the virus. Drinking alcoholic drinks will not prevent you from getting contaminated with the corona virus. Ingesting bleach is extremely dangerous to the human organism and should not be done for whatever reason. The chemicals contained inside can cause serious health issues
- The herbal treatment for the virus includes drinking boiled mixture of lemon, lime, ginger, pepper etc
- This mixture will not help protect you. Right now the virus is more of symptomatic management and has nothing to do with this kind of concoction
- Gargling warm water in the throat kills the virus
- This is not true, as there is no shown evidence of this practice and getting treated from COVID19
- Checking Temperature on an inferred thermometer is a complete COVID19 screening
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- This is just a thermometer that records your temperature and not really a test for COVID19. An inferred thermometer is able to detect temperature from a distance and which advantageous in that there is no contact between individuals for fear of contracting the disease.