Coronavirus misinformation is growing increasingly bizarre, and increasingly dangerous

iNews ^ | 03/11/2020 | Ruchira Sharma

[SeekAndFind]

Misinformation about the coronavirus is continuing to spread online, and bleed into offline spaces as well, leading to some widespread misconceptions and confusion about the coronavirus. Experts say a lack of high-quality information has allowed false claims to fill in the gaps, raising concerns that people are actually following dangerous advice as a result.

You may have seen some of the information yourself, whether it's on your Facebook feed, an email forwarded from an uncle you haven't spoken to in years, or even published by some news outlets. From the evidence-free recommendation of vitamin C as a cure, to claims people are putting condoms on their fingers as protection, the inaccurate claims keep circulating.

Like many previous bits of misinformation, many are simply repeatedly reshared screenshots, or copy-and-pasted messages with unverified or factually incorrect information. Here's the truth behind some of the most questionable ones.

There's no evidence 'high-dose' Vitamin C can stop Coronavirus

A 'verified statement' from a university hospital in China claims that high doses of vitamin C can achieve good results in Coronavirus patients. According to Todd Ellerin, MD at Harvard Health Publishing, there’s no evidence that “supplements, such as vitamin C, or probiotics will help speed recovery.” 

Similarly, taking supplements isn’t likely to help prevent or cure Coronavirus, reports the Washington Post.

That hasn’t stopped misinformation about the vitamin spreading, primarily based on a screenshot of a 'report' apparently featuring quotes from a doctor in a South Korean hospital, and someone claiming to be a physician in China who claim to have seen symptoms disappear from users who had taken it. This is being re-shared either word for word, or as a similar screenshot, while the quotes have been used in numerous online stories of outlets as well. 

It isn’t actually a verified statement from China's Xi'an Jiatong University Second Hospital, and doesn’t appear among the hospital's other Covid-19 news updates on the website.

The post in fact came from Andrew W Saul, the editor-in-chief of the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, an alternative therapy unsupported by scientific evidence. One of the quotes in his press release has been attributed to Richard Z Cheng, who claims to be a doctor with links to vitamin C trials in China - and also involved in an Orthomolecular Medicine society. 

However, vitamin C is being examined in China for its potential benefits against coronavirus, with a clinical trial document from last month showing that studies were underway. The predicted completion date is September of this year, so vitamin C is not at the moment considered a viable treatment or cure.

The NHS and World Health Organisation have also confirmed that there is no specific cure to coronavirus yet.

People aren't using condoms on their fingers to protect against Coronavirus

Over the last week, multiple online tabloids produced stories claiming that people were using condoms on their fingers to protect from Coronavirus, with some of these stories reaching hundreds of thousands of people. This appears to have originated around a month ago, with an image circulating on Chinese social network Weibo, around February 6, of someone pressing a lift button with a condom on their finger.

Contextual clues suggest this was a genuine joke, but on February 7 an image of an empty condom stand in a Singapore supermarket appeared on Reddit, under a joke title that Singapore residents were using the quarantine to have sex instead. Reports differ on how widespread the shortage of condoms actually was, though there's certainly some photographic evidence to suggest some stores were running out.

Then the story picked up on February 12, when Durex Singapore responded to it's meme-worthy reputation during the quarantine with a joking Facebook post about using the product as protection when pressing buttons in lifts. This post was later removed.

Alistair Reid, editor of fact checking site First Draft highlighted how the picture many outlets used appeared to be taken from the Reddit thread, a month beforehand. This was combined with the previous images from around the internet, including edited versions of the durex ads, to put the various tabloid stories together.

One news story claims: "The latest [coronavirus protection] strategy allegedly sees people panic-buying packets of condoms to put them on their fingers to protect against the virus when pushing elevator buttons in buildings."

There's no evidence this is a widespread practice.

It's not a good idea to make your own hand sanitiser

In recent days, some people have been panic-buying and stockpiling hand sanitiser, and even profiteering on online sales sites. However, while hand sanitiser is effective, there's no requirement for it in place of hand-washing. Both the WHO and PHE confirm one of those most effective ways to stop the spread of Covid-19 is washing hands with soap. Hand sanitiser is an option if that isn't possible.

"Proper hand washing is the most effective method and this should be your first choice," explains PHE.

Despite this, the demand has continues which has led to shortages - a potential problem for people who rely on it for other reasons. This shortage has also led to dubious explanations of how to produce your own hand sanitiser.

The explanations seem to be inspired by a spike in search activity noticed by a range of outlets across the world, likely inspired by people discovering the shortage. Some outlets have responded to this with recipes, on the assumption that anything with more than 60% alcohol will be just as effective - but the evidence for that is limited.

Dr Jenna Macciochi, an immunologist based at Sussex University, said to HuffPo UK: "I wouldn’t try and make your own sanitiser at home. It’s not necessary for most people who have access to regular hand washing with soap and water, which is perfectly sufficient. [Homemade sanitiser] will most likely be less effective than ones that you can buy and have a known amount of alcohol in them."

Store bought hand sanitisers will also often have emollients to counter the harshness of the alcohol on the skin. Home made ones could risk hurting your hands as a result, Sally Bloomfield, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told The Guardian.

The government doesn't recommend not shaking hands

Claims that the government recommended people not shaking hands are partially unfounded. An article in The Sun on Wednesday claimed that the NHS warned people to ban handshakes, but fact checking site Full Fact found this was not the case. PHE confirmed that the government were not limiting or even banning handshaking.

"We may get to a point where if we see more widespread infection we ask people to limit the social contact they have with each other," said Prof Paul Cosford, Emeritus Medical Director at PHE.

"This could include limiting everyday interaction, although we’re not there yet."

The initial story was following up a clip of a BBC Breakfast interview with GP Dr Rosemary Leonard and Leeds University virologist Stephen Griffin, in which Dr Leonard said: "When we all walked into the BBC this morning, the charming people at the desk were all shaking our hands. I know it’s very British and very polite, we probably ought to stop shaking hands."

This was not officially issued advice as was initially reported, however, and this advice has not yet changed.

The confusion has likely been further exacerbated by questioning of Prime Minister Boris Johnson over whether he personally would stop shaking hands. Asked by Philip Schofield on This Morning earlier this week, Mr. Johnson echoed official advice, saying: "I’ve been going around hospitals as you can imagine and always shake hands. People make their own decisions. Washing them is the key."

Children don't need to be removed from schools

Many groups have sprung up about Coronavirus, and as you might expect, many of them are concerned parents. A common suggestion is that parents should take their children out of schools.

(Facebook)

This isn't recommended advice. At the current levels, Coronavirus doesn't present an extensive enough threat to justify this, and while a small number of schools have been closed, this is due to specific instances of a pupil or a parent testing positive for Coronavirus.

For parents who had not travelled with children to a high risk country and were considering taking their children out of school because of Coronavirus, a spokesperson for PHE said "we wouldn't recommend it."

"Our advice in that situation is just to continue life as normal."

This post was updated to clarify the position of Mr Cheng.

[Hot Tabasco]

People aren't using condoms on their fingers to protect against Coronavirus

You can never be too cautious. Fortunately I have a large supply of extra large ones just in case.

[rdcbn]

Exactly.

[JenB987]

I think the toilet paper thing is in case there is a mass quarantine.

People want enough supplies for 2 weeks in case they aren’t allowed to leave their house.

I’m shocked so many people aren’t getting this...

[mware]

Vitamin D the happy dream pill.

[MeganC]

“I enjoy oases of sanity that deal with the Wuhan Virus in a level-headed way.”

Agreed. It’s no big deal so long as it doesn’t affect you.

[kiryandil]

I'm trying to keep the vitamin D between 1000-2000IU daily.

You get 700-800IU from a multivitamin, and then I supplement with a 1000IU gelcap.

I also try to get some D in my diet, maybe in eggs or a little fatty fish.

They say you should keep it under 4000IU.

Any idea of the daily dosage that you're taking that "turned the light on"?

[Vermont Lt]

There are not a lot of people using 36 rolls of toilet paper every two weeks. Even when I had two teenage girls living with us...we did not use THAT much.

[sheana]

I buy my tp in mass quantities anyway simply because that way I don’t forget and we never run low. I worked in sales for a chemical company that did commercial bathroom products too about 30 years ago. I got used to buying a case of tp at a time then. Now I make 1 run and buy at least 10 double roll 12 packs at a time. lol

[GOPJ]

Finger cots. I forgot to buy finger cots!

Amazing... tell me... are they made in China?

[rightwingcrazy]

I had trouble with the “fact checking” in this article, and I’m not an advocate of any of the things that they “debunk”. The effort to stem overreaction is commendable, but “fact checking” like this is more pedantic than useful, I think. Complacency and panic are both bad things.

“There’s no evidence ‘high-dose’ Vitamin C can stop Coronavirus” — not specifically, but there is evidence (albeit not definitive) that it reduces the severity of viral infections, generally.

“It’s not a good idea to make your own hand sanitiser” because of the lack of emollients, apparently. So, add emollients.

“The government doesn’t recommend not shaking hands”, but it may be a prudent measure in the future.

“Children don’t need to be removed from schools”, but they may need to be in the future.

[Grampa Dave]

An economical and excellent way to get Vitamin D is to go out in the sun during high sun time for 30 minutes.

If you time it with a 30 minute walk, it is a twofer.

Also, you will get free Dopamine, which will improve your mood and outlook on life and help if you have the blues or Parkinson’s.

A younger relative complained, he didn’t have time to do this. His mother, my wife is an RN. She told him to drive home during his lunch hour 5 min. Then, he, his wife and their dog can walk and have lunch in the good daylight. They take doggie treats with them.

He started last month, and his wife drives to his work place sometimes. Regardless, they and their dog walk while talking and eating in the sunlight.

[CharlesWayneCT]

I’m not sure why anybody is shaking hands now. It isn’t a necessary task, so even if the risk is low of picking up a particular virus from another hand, it isn’t zero percent.

I’m not stopping doing things I enjoy doing, but I have stopped shaking hands.

[CharlesWayneCT]

I went shopping last night. They were out of lysol, spray and wipes.

They had plenty of bleach.

They had adequate supplies of toilet paper, and plenty of tissues and paper towels.

They had a good supply of rubber gloves, but in small packs, and kind of expensive.

Plenty of gatorade and bottled water.

I did not look for cough syrup. That’s a good idea to pick some up on my next visit — I am slowly building up a supply of things I might need if I have to quarantine.

[SeekAndFind]

Just learn to bow the Japanese way...

HAJIMEMASHITE

[SeekAndFind]

What your experience tells me is this — I should start considering buying Clorox Stocks while they’re down (Symbol: CLX ).

[nascarnation]

Caliph Baraq....

[CharlesWayneCT]

What amazes me is that there was a run on toilet paper (which isn’t something you need extra of for the virus, although nobody wants to be caught without it), but NOT facial tissue, which everybody should be carrying around now, so if they sneeze or cough, they can do it into the tissue and then throw it away.

[Fury]

President Obama is bowing over too far. That just is not good form.

[SeekAndFind]

That kind of bow from Obama isn’t going to help. He STILL shook the Emperor’s hand.

[gawatchman]

It is when you consider how he kowtowed to all our enemies.