Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that he will address the nation on Thursday evening, a spate of messages on the social media warned the people to stock up essential commodities, leading to a panic. However, government sources were quick to dismiss the speculations.
Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar tweeted, “Some media outlets are speculating that PM Modi will announce a lockdown in his address. This information is incorrect. It will also create unnecessary panic in minds of people, which is the last thing we need in times like this.”
In fact, alarmist messages on the social media has forced people to go for bulk buying of essential commodities as they vanished from popular e-commerce websites.
It is not just the disease that is proving a challenge to the medical practitioners, but also the spate of fake messages. Another fake message, said to be released from national security council, prime minister's office, listing host of measures taken by the government to counter COVID-19, too were being circulated. The government was quick to dismiss it as fake as it did not concern India. Government official publicity wing Press Information Bureau (PIB) said no such release has been sent out.
Another fake news peddled on the social media was that antibiotics were effective against coronavirus, but the government said antibiotics were not used in case of corona medication.
There was another fake message about the prime minister launching a special scheme to distribute masks. This message also had the name of a website through which these masks will be distributed. The government warned it was a fake message.
Other myths circulated on online referred to blood tests being done for testing COVID-19, but experts clarified that only saliva swabs were taken to test, and no blood tests were being done. Similar fake messages pertained to different home remedies which can prevent the spread of virus.
The government has asked that people should only focus on official communication from the experts and do not believe in fake messages circulating in the media.
