COVID-19 related false information on social media caused over 800 deaths: Study

While the COVID-19 pandemic took over the world earlier this year, the misinformation, stigma and rumours surrounding the outbreak also dominated the world through social media. A new study has revealed that at least 2,311 COVID-19 related misinformation was circulated in 25 different languages across 87 countries causing the death of at least 800 people. 

The research published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene has also estimated that around 5,800 people have been admitted to the hospital after acting on the false information consumed on social media. Based on the data collected between December 31, 2019, and April 5, 2020, several people have lost their lives from drinking disinfectants and other alcohol-based cleaning products in the belief that its to be a cure for COVID-19. 

The study said, “Claims [infodemics] were related to illness, transmission and mortality (24%), control measures (21%), treatment and cure (19%), cause of disease including the origin (15%), violence (1%), and miscellaneous (20%). Of the 2,276 reports for which text ratings were available, 1,856 claims were false (82%).”

"Following this misinformation, approximately 800 people have died, whereas 5,876 have been hospitalized and 60 have developed complete blindness after drinking methanol as a cure of coronavirus," it added.

While global infections of COVID-19 have surpassed 21.3 million with over 768,900 deaths, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had previously noted that the “infodemic” surrounding the outbreak has spread just as rapidly as the highly transmissible novel coronavirus.

The deaths due to all the conspiracy theories, rumours, stigma are spiking while the world is more than seven months into the coronavirus pandemic. Here is a chart of how these infodemics impacted different parts of the world:

Source: @AJTMH/Twitter

Source: @AJTMH/Twitter

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Country leaders' claims that triggered outcry

From US President Donald Trump to Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, several country leaders have made misleading claims that have triggered COVID-19 misinformation crisis. Even though Trump later said that it was a sarcastic comment, he had suggested researchers check if coronavirus can be killed by injecting disinfectant into the body. 

He said, “And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?”

However, he then faced harsh criticism from medical authorities for such a claim. Moreover, for the longest time, before he himself contracted the novel coronavirus, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro deemed the outbreak as a ‘hoax’. Both leaders have also publicly touted the anti-viral drug hydroxychloroquine to be a treatment for coronavirus despite the warnings of several health professionals. 

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