Social media has empowered a lot of people with the opportunity to share and receive news concerning almost everything first, and fast. In the race to break the news first, and fast, there is a lot of misinformation on the internet.
The outbreak of Coronavirus has had social media platforms put in place stringent measures to curb misinformation about the deadly virus by labelling face stories “FAKE” and blocking some links so that users get access to only accurate information and stay safe.
Since the outbreak, the Ministry of Health has provided updates about the virus, the do’s and don’ts, how to protect yourself from catching the virus, travel advisory in addition to manning entry points in the country with medical personnel and screening equipment.
The Ministry has positioned itself as the main source of accurate information concerning the pandemic and rightly so.
Although this is the case, some individuals looking for a few clicks, retweets, likes and shares have on several occasions provided fake information about Coronavirus.
The Minister for Health Dr Jane Ruth Aceng has cautioned people against misinformation, for it spreads the virus faster, putting lives at risk.
“Let’s try as much as possible not to spread wrong information because it causes the virus to spread even faster. You tell lies and people believe the lies. We are spending more money fighting wrong information,” Aceng said while addressing the private sector this morning, adding that:
“Some medical officers, politicians, and corporate members are spreading wrong information about the virus, wrong information is killing us.”
The Minister urged the public to follow the Ministry’s directives regarding prevention of Coronavirus.