The corona virus is a new type of infectious virus that attacks the respiratory system, you may get the virus through direct contact with people who already have it, and or being exposed to surfaces that also are contaminated with the virus.
Corona has been stated to be spreading by the end of 2019 by the World Health Organization (WHO). the virus was first spreading in Wuhan an eastern Chinese city, when the Chinese office was receiving reports of many infected cases, however at that time no body knew what this virus was, and what is it capable of.
The virus was in continues spreading when cases reached over 200,000 victims of Corona, and over 9000 deaths. What was a local matter quickly shifted to be a global disaster?
Both national and international authorities were detecting the cases of those who are victims of the virus, stating that the virus started in Wuhan and made its way to 150 other countries. The countries to be reported with the most corona virus cases Italy, Iran, and Spain. That continued to spread through the whole globe.
In the beginning people did not take this matter seriously , specially in communities that did not witness that many cases, however the more numbers of victims of the virus the more aware people have become of how dangerous it could be to easily get the illness, specially that there was no cure yet, and not enough information, research and knowledge out there about this virus yet.
The problem with less information out there concerning the virus led to the spread of rumors and false information by the public, which created terror to some level.
Some of those rumors were:
1)If you drink too much water, the virus has no way to survive because of the stomach’s acid washing it away.
2)Blow Dryers can kill viruses because of a high level of heat.
3)Helicopters were going to spray pesticides all over UAE after 12 Mid.
4)Any Chinese or Asian person is a person with corona (Racism, Discrimination as well).
5)The virus was created in the lab by humans as a bioweapon (Conspiracy).
6)using Steroids, Acetic Acid can protect you from the virus.
7)you will get infected if you buy Chinese products.
8)wearing a mask to cover your nose, will protect you from the virus.
Rumors Explained:
1)Drinking water is generally good for a humans health and body systems, however a virus cannot be flushed with water out of the body system, because even though it enters through your mouth, it can also enter through your nose, and other openings. And there’s no biological mechanism that supports that water can kill viruses. Now it can help get rid of toxins, but not kill viruses.
2)using a hair blow dryer, can kill the virus due to high heat temperature. Doing that can confuse the good bacteria that lives in our nostrils, so it is in fact a bad idea. Also doctors have proven that viruses can be transmitted even in hot and humid climates.
3)Helicopters Spraying the UAE to prevent the virus, was a rumor shared on twitter and spread countless times, that people started believing it. Due to such rumors the UAE’s Government launched out a statement that any one responsible for the spread of false information and or rumors were face consequences, to help control rumor spread.
4)Any Chinese or Asian person has corona, now this was based on many personal experiences both on social media and in reality, where people often post MEMES about Chinese or Asian people referring the post to them, as a way to entertain the public and make fun of Asian people, and in some cases people will avoid being around other people of Asian backgrounds or Asian features.
5)the virus was created by humans as a bioweapon, now this piece of information is a conspiracy theory and not necessarily true. It was just a coincidence that the virus spreading started in Wuhan, which is the only city in china that has a level 4 biosafety lab. More research was done on the nature of the virus and the results were that the virus was first in the wild life and came from animals, and once it reached humans and infected them, it turned into a stronger version of the virus, which is what we call now Covid 19.
6)using certain substances such as steroids and Acetic acid can help protect you. As a matter of fact, those substances are more dangerous is dooming your health than helping it get better, there is also no scientific and medical proof related to the virus. And the only way you can try to protect yourself is through personal hygiene and keeping away from crowded places as they may be infected.
7)you will get infected if you buy Chinese products. This statement has no truth in it, as it was proven by scientists that viruses in general cannot survive for long on surfaces. So, it is more likely the package that took you days to weeks to arrive has very little chance of having the virus.
8)wearing a mask will protect you from the virus. Wearing disposable surgical masks will not prevent the virus from being transmitted to you, because it does not fit tightly on the face, therefore there is chance the virus may get to you through small droplets. Also, the virus can get to you through not only your mouth or nose, but also your eyes and skin.
That being cleared out of the way, Stay safe , wash your hands, keep your surroundings sanitized, and hope for the best!
Journalism JRN 215 