Naysayers, rumours, fake news have made Covid-19 battle tough: virologist
Fake news, rumour campaigns and naysayers have had a huge impact on the battle against Covid-19 over the past two years, top virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan said in a Facebook post on Monday.
He said fake news was published and widely shared on social media, yet it was never corrected when the truth was revealed.
“Many people believe in such fake news if they consume it frequently, especially about Covid-19 and vaccines,” he said.
Yong added that rumour campaigns, which only carry about 20 per cent truth, generally cause traumatic stress among people, resulting in an impact on society and the economy. Also, he said, bullying from naysayers is very common in social media.
“Hence, media outlets should be honest and patient as the truth will eventually surface,” he said, adding that it was a pity people had lost opportunities to battle against the disease.
The virologist added that it was necessary to make children aware that they should not believe in news that has not been proven in line with cause and effect and scientific principles.
“They should be able to tell the difference between true and false, and should ensure that the news they share comes from reliable sources,” he said.
He added that people have learned to become patient and were striving to seek knowledge on the battle against a newly emergent disease over the past two years.