Smartcitizen, while we all drudge through these complicated times, another virus spreads between the masses. Unlike the coronavirus, this virus does not spread via water droplets but instead, it travels through devices from social media and messaging apps. This virus is called misinformation. In this information age where everything is instant and connected, it’s very easy for things to be misunderstood or misheard, like a massive whispering game involving the majority of the global population. Or perhaps these are simply fake facts made up by a person of ill intent aiming to sow confusion among netizens. You may have encountered these hoaxes on Facebook or a message in a group chat. Before we share them and spread further misinformation, it is best to do some fact-checking for yourself to see if the info is correct. Sourced from the Jakarta Provincial Government’s official hoax-busting website, Jala Hoaks, here are ten hoaxes about Covid-19 that you should know.
Covid-19 is just like a common cold/Covid-19 was engineered in a lab
This first hoax unfortunately is not local to Indonesia and is believed by many people across the globe. The truth is, Covid-19 is not the same as the common cold which is caused by the influenza virus. According to Stanford Children’s Health, Covid-19 is caused by a recently discovered coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2. While early symptoms of Covid-19 may resemble a cold with fevers and coughs, this illness may develop further and cause breathing difficulties or pneumonia, even leading to death.
Furthermore, rumors also spread around about how SARS-Cov-2 was created in a lab by scientists for whatever nefarious reason. Of course, this conspiracy theory isn’t factual. The genetic makeup or genome of SARS-CoV-2 has been spread publicly to scientists all around the world, and none of them has found any evidence of genetic manipulation of any kind. According to research published in the Nature Medicine journal, the SARS-CoV-2 genome was found to be similar to other viruses inhabiting animals such as bats and pangolins. The most likely possibility right now is that SARS-CoV-2 originated in these animals and gradually mutated to infect humans. However, the main method of transmission is still human-to-human, not from animals.
Deaths only occur due to underlying health conditions, no one has died solely because of Covid-19
A hoax spread through chain messages on Whatsapp states that no patient has died solely of Covid-19. According to the said message, deaths are only patients who have many viruses or bacteria in their bodies or have comorbid health conditions. Edwark Parker, a virologist from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine stated that individuals exposed to other viruses are more prone to suffering more serious symptoms of Covid-19. Though this does not mean that people who have died of Covid-19 alone do not exist. According to covid19.go.id, about 97,7 percent of 1,883 patients who died of Covid-19 have no comorbid conditions or have incomplete medical data.
Indonesia will apply the herd immunity strategy
Rumors that the Indonesian government is planning to use herd immunity to mitigate the Covid-19 problem was abound on Facebook. Herd immunity itself is a situation where many people are infected by a disease and build an immunity to it. Once a lot of people are immune to the disease, it would be harder for the virus to spread and thus the pandemic would cease. Not only has the WHO stated that herd immunity may not be the best way to go about the Covid-19 pandemic, Covid-19 Task Force Spokesperson Achmad Yurianto has also dismissed the rumor, saying that the Indonesian government has never planned to use herd immunity to solve Covid-19.
DKI Jakarta is a ‘black zone’ of Covid-19 based on data by the Indonesian Intelligence Agency (BIN)
A photo displaying the five districts of Jakarta as ‘black zones’ was spread across various social media. This photo also plastered the BIN logo, claiming to be an official source. Deputy-VII for Communication and Information at BIN, Wawan Hari Purwanto, asserts that this image did not come from the BIN and that the information therein was false. The Covid-19 Task Force does not even use ‘black zone’ as a classification for areas affected by Covid-19. The task force only uses four categories which are: ‘red zones’ for cities/districts with a high risk of transmission, ‘orange zones’ for cities/districts with medium risk, ‘yellow zones’ for cities/districts with low risk, and ‘green zones’ for cities/districts unaffected by Covid-19.
Thermo guns are harmful for the brain
One device that has seen widespread use during the pandemic is the thermo gun, a pistol-shaped tool aimed at one’s forehead to measure their body temperature in a matter of seconds. A video hoax claims that thermo guns were originally used to check the temperature of cables not humans, thus their radiation can be harmful to the human brain. The Ministry of Communication and Informatics has clarified that this information is untrue. According to an internal medicine specialist, dr. Ari Fahrial Syam SpPD-KGEH, the thermo gun is safe to used and has passed health tests.
Other than that, there are two types of thermometers, medical thermometers and industrial thermometers, the latter of which is used to measure the heat of water, machines, AC, swimming pools, transformers, etc. So the thermo guns used to measure cables are not the same ones that we use to measure our temperature. Thermo guns also use infrared which is different from x-ray radiation and is not harmful to our brains.
The high transmission rate of Covid-19 through ATM machines
A message spread through social media advises using plastic or rubber gloves when using the ATM. It further claims that 70% of Covid-19 infections come from ATM machines and 13 people have been hospitalized due to this. Head of the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI), dr. Daeng M Faqih, confirms that there is still some risk and advises to wash your hands with soap after using the ATM. However, he states that there is yet to be detailed data relating to ATM machines as the highest medium of Covid-19 transmission.
Eating bananas can prevent Covid-19
In a video spread around Tiktok and Twitter, a scientist from the University of Queensland proves that bananas can fix body immunity and reduce the risk of Covid-19 due to its high content of vitamin B6. A member of the Gunadarma University MAFINDO Commissariat, an anti-slander association, Indri Pramesti Widyaningrum, stated that the video is, in fact, a result of editing together several different videos. The Queensland scientist did do research on Covid-19 vaccines, but bananas were not a part of the research. Though bananas are healthy and provide many benefits for our bodies, there has been no further research on whether bananas can prevent Covid-19.
Different types of cough according to the AIIMS Pathological Department
A message claiming to be from a doctor of the AIIMS Delhi Pathological Department circulated in Whatsapp. The message explains the different types of coughs and how they relate to Covid-19 symptoms. The official AIIMS Delhi website has not released any public statements on different types of coughs or comparisons between coronavirus and flu symptoms. The doctor that was said to have spread this hoax is not part of the AIIMS Pathological Department, while all other staff members have publicly attached their names and email addresses.
The use of Sartan class of hypertension drugs makes you more susceptible to Covid-19
Information circulating via WhatsApp about the results of a teleconference with FKUI/RSUI colleagues explained that the use of hypertension drugs for the Sartan class would make you more susceptible to Covid-19 because they are included in the ACE Inhibitor class. Based on the research of alodokter.com and hellosehat.com, the Sartan class of hypertension drugs itself is not an ACE inhibitor but an Angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) group. In addition, the ASEAN Federation of Cardiology (AFC) states that the use of ACE inhibitors and ARBs has not been proven to exacerbate Covid-19 infection, and their use is still recommended by the four largest cardiology organizations in the world for Covid-19 patients who have a history of cardiovascular disease.
Date fruits need to be sterilized because bats carrying the Coronavirus lives in date palm trees
As we learned in the first hoax on this list, SARS-CoV-2 most likely originated from animals such as bats. However, this spread even more hoaxes in the form of Facebook posts claiming that the Middle Eastern Ministries of Health advises Muslims to wash their dates because the date palm trees are home to Coronavirus-carrying bats.
The website thestar.com said that the WHO or the Ministries of Health from Middle Eastern countries did not issue any suggestions or warnings about the contamination of the dates through bats. This was revealed directly by the Malaysian Ministry of Health. Director-General of the Malaysian Ministry of Health Datuk Dr. Noor Hisham said that his party even asked for direct confirmation from WHO regarding the news, but found the fact that this news was not true.
Those were ten hoaxes about Covid-19 that have been flying around the social media space in the past few months. Smartcitizen, don’t be too quick to believe anything you see on Facebook, Whatsapp, or other online platforms. Always check the source of the information to make sure that it is fact or fabrication. Also, remind friends or relatives that post or spread these hoaxes as well as explain the truth from a trusted source. Visit Jala Hoaks to stay updated and informed on the latest hoax clarification.
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