The last thing anyone wants to do in an emergency or virus outbreak is to panic. And if one panics, there is the tendency to spread unverified information. While the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is speeding up, a deluge of misinformation is circulating on social media platforms and closed spaces. Panic and false news are as much a problem as the actual medical emergency. A friend lamented on which news about the novel coronavirus is real or not. “What are those videos showing people collapse on the ground and looking like zombie-apocalypse movie scenes? Is the virus spread through the eyes not by mouth, making the mask useless?” While a lot of unknowns surround this virus, conspiracy theories are bound to happen.
Hoaxes about coronavirus spread faster than the virus itself. Poynter’s International Fact-Checking Network & the American Press Institute’s Accountability Project affirm the widespread misinformation. Around 48 fact-checking organizations from 30 countries collaborated to debunk false information about the 2019-nCoV. As of Jan. 29, 2020, the community detected 86 instances of misleading information that deserved international attention. The largest trend of misinformation gathered is the launch of a miraculous vaccine. This was followed by fake data about the source of the fatal illness. Conspiracy theories come in third. The collaborative project remains active as long as the disease spreads worldwide. You could follow these updates through two hashtags, #CoronaVirusFacts and #DatosCoronaVirus in social media platforms and Poynter.org fact checking coverage.