‘Hot steam won’t kill the virus’ - Africa Check warns against fake news amid Covid surge
Fact-checking and media monitoring agencies have warned against falling victim to fake news about Covid-19 as the country attempts to respond to the escalating health crisis.
On Saturday, government announced that a new variant is now dominant in South Africa.
The Delta variant is responsible for the bulk of new infections, wreaking havoc in at least five provinces including Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Free State and the Western Cape.
Since then, there have been some concerns that the mis- and disinformation about the virus could rear its ugly head again.
Africa Check researcher Keegan Leech says the trends of fake news come in waves, often mimicking the pandemic.
“When people are worried or there’s new information or a lack of information about a new development, then we start to see often misinformation that gets revived by people sharing it in a new context or misinformation that’s taking advantage of a new uncertainty that people haven’t quite understood yet.
“A lot of time we see things that offer people all sorts of advice - whether it’s cures or treatment or prevention or if it’s just tell people what the symptoms are to look out for or something like that. We see a lot of things that are shared with probably good intentions but haven’t been carefully checked or considered beforehand,” Leech adds.
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At the start of the pandemic last year, lemon, ginger and garlic prices rose by more than 300% amid reports that it helps combat Covid-19-related symptoms.
Steaming has also been touted as a Covid remedy.
But Leech warns against its dangers.
“It’s been debunked many times and the World Health Organisation has warned people to be really careful because inhaling hot steam, for instance, has a danger of burning you and it’s not actually going to destroy the virus or even reach the lungs where the virus is going to end up if you contracted the disease,” he says.
Vaccine conspiracy theories have also hampered government’s vaccination efforts, sowing seeds of doubt among some South Africans.
“It’s important check everything you receive, especially if it’s something emotionally charged or preys on or discusses something where there isn’t a lot of information.”
Leech adds it’s important to check information against reputable sources.
Listen to Leech below:
