What are the best ways to combat Covid-19 amidst all the misinformation and chaos?

“My father kept forcing me to eat mangoes till I completely stuffed in my system” exclaimed Tanisha Israt Siddiqui, a first year fresher at North South University claiming her father has heard somewhere that having an abundance of mangoes helps cure corona. Just like Tanisha’s father, there are a lot of people who have been victims of misinformation for preventing Covid.  Spam texts and ill-informed WhatsApp forwards spoiled people’s minds with illogical viewpoints about the cure of coronavirus and even raised arguments on it. Starting from consuming an animal’s faeces to drinking boiling hot water that would burn our tongues, we have heard and seen it all.

We are all living in an era where one simple tweet or text can change our thought process in a split second. As delirious as it sounds, it is worse than that. The misinformation and disinformation are spread primarily due to two reasons and they are asymmetric information and malicious propaganda. Asymmetric information is when the data is half known to one party. People, even in good spirits, tend to spread false information which in turn creates absurd, unjustified and medically unverified remedies. On the other hand, malicious propaganda is the intentional planting of information that will harm us. Medicinal companies or relevant individuals have used several platforms to create this nuisance. Amidst all the chaos of misinformation and disinformation, won’t a few legitimate ways of fighting Covid-19 act as a blessing in disguise? It surely would. Considering all the myths that have been eliminated and busted by World Health Organization (WHO), here are a set of verified ways of combating Covid-19:

1. Social distancing: It does not take a super literate individual to understand the importance of social distancing when a virus is as contagious as coronavirus. We should stay at home and avoid crowded locations. Moreover, we should not allow any gathering in public places and only go out when it’s required. Even when travelling, we must keep a distance of 6 feet to eliminate the chances of getting infected.
2. Wear a mask: No matter what, whenever we are surrounded by anyone other than ourselves, we have to wear a mask. This virus has no finishing trail and the variants in which it arrives is still indecipherable. So, we should do our best to avoid physical interaction and exchange of breath. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), fabric masks are the best protectants. We should try our level best to use those masked.
3. Sanitise: Remember how we would see small pouches of fragrant sanitisers being carried at the hem of some handbags? Yes, they are now a necessity and the fancy ones will not cater to this scenario. According to an article published in Forbes, at 43 per cent ethanol starts working against the original SARS-CoV-1, whose structure is almost identical to the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19. However, there is not a designated formula for a perfect sanitiser. Doctors all around the world suggest we get used to it as much as possible to be on the safe side.
4. Balanced Diet: The value of a diet nourished with Zinc, Vitamin C, D, A and iron is unmatchable. They will not help you fight Covid directly, that’s true. Nonetheless, it will definitely boost up your immune system which by default will prepare your body to kill the virus or its traits. Food that is high in cholesterol and sugar is meant to be minimised by health experts as it deteriorates our wellness. Instead, organic food like fruits and vegetables is highly endorsed.
5. Vaccine: As the battle regarding the effectiveness of vaccines seems never-ending, getting vaccinated is the primary way of eradicating the possibility of catching Covid-19. Some examples of vaccines are AstraZeneca and Pfizer. Even in this case, there are several myths of blood clotting and severe side effects but none of them is medically proven. We should register for a vaccine via our NID and get jabbed. This one-time trouble can save you from weeks of physical strain and torture.

These are medically proven and approved by Dr Md Saiful Islam, Occupational Health Clinic Supervisor, MSF HOLLAND. When we asked him about Covid-19 myths still existing in Bangladesh, he gave us the following statement: “Yes, definitely they do. Some of the most common ones are that poor people don't get infected with Covid-19, regular intake of steam inhalation kills viruses, children are not susceptible and that vaccines alone can prevent the disease. All of them are false. These have now become folklore in many parts of the country and the most saddening part is that urban citizens still pay heed to it.”

To be concise, medical experts are working day and night to figure out ways to fight this vicious virus, but just like charity, safety too starts at home. After all, health is our greatest wealth! Amidst all the rumours and misinformation spiralling and being spread, one must stay up to date with all the latest news and information from certified organisations like WHO and authentic news sources and portals to avoid confusion and chaos. One good way to verify the authenticity of information is to cross-check it through factcheck.org and bust any baseless theories and myths surrounding Covid-19.

[email protected]