Misinformation during a public health crisis not only fuels hysteria, it’s dangerous.
When fiction masquerades as fact, people panic when they don’t need to. Or they try to protect themselves with “remedies” that don’t work.
Unfortunately, falsehoods about the coronavirus pandemic are rampant.
We’ve collected some of the most common fabrications…along with the truth you need to know.
7 Coronavirus Myths Debunked
- Coronavirus was created in a lab. Conspiracy theorists have pushed the idea that the coronavirus was produced through genetic engineering in a lab and was set loose by North Korea, China, or even the U.S. military.[1]
A new study in the journal Nature proves this is nonsense.
Dr. Kristian Andersen was one of the authors. He said that by examining the gene sequence, “we can firmly determine that SARS-CoV-2 (the scientific name of coronavirus) originated through natural processes.”
Based on the analysis, the virus evolved in the wild in either bats or pangolins, which are armadillo-like creatures.[2] - Pets can spread coronavirus. There is one case of a man in Hong Kong giving the virus to his dog. (The dog did not become ill.) But there are no cases of pets passing the virus to their owners.[3]
- Young people don’t have to worry. Even though people over 60 are at greater risk of getting a severe case, many young people have fallen sick and even died.[4]
A surprising report issued by the CDC found that 38% of patients hospitalized in the U.S. for coronavirus were between 20 and 54.
“I think everyone should be paying attention to this,” said Dr. Stephen S. Morse, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. “It’s not just going to be the elderly. There will be people age 20 and up. They do have to be careful, even if they think that they’re young and healthy.”[5] - Wearing a mask will protect you. Masks help stop sick people from spreading the virus. But they don’t protect healthy people from getting infected, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO says you should wear a mask in public only if you are infected or caring for someone who is infected. But you shouldn’t be going out in those cases unless it is absolutely necessary.[6] - You should wear gloves when out in public. Dr. Frank Esper is an infectious disease expert. He says wearing gloves for things like touching ATM keypads or working a gas pump is “probably not effective” for keeping you safe from the virus.
“Eventually, the gloves themselves become contaminated,” Dr. Esper said. Plus, “most gloves have minute holes” large enough to let viruses through. - Coronavirus is no different from the flu. Covid-19 is 10 to 20 times more deadly than the flu. It’s twice as contagious. It has a hospitalization rate of 19%, compared to only 2% for the flu. And coronavirus has an incubation period that can be three times as long the flu.[7] [8]
- You can kill the virus by gargling bleach. Under no circumstances should you do this. Bleach taken internally is corrosive. It will cause severe damage to your esophagus.[9]
Dealing with the coronavirus pandemic won’t be easy. But we’re better equipped to meet the challenge when we can tell fact from fiction.
Editor’s Note: Now more than ever, you need to know about “infinite immunity.” It’s a recent Nobel Prize-winning discovery that gives your body the power to fight off virtually any infection. Find out more by reading our monthly journal, Independent Healing. Go HERE.
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[1] https://www.marketwatch.com/story/jerry-falwell-jr-slammed-for-suggesting-north-korea-created-the-coronavirus-to-hurt-america-2020-03-13
[2]https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-03-covid-coronavirus-epidemic-natural-scientists.html
[3] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/coronavirus-myths-explored
[4] https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/17/21184291/coronavirus-covid-19-young-people-sick-vulnerable-affected-severe-cases
[5] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/health/coronavirus-young-people.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
[6]https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-03-masks-gloves-dont-coronavirus-experts.html
[7] https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2020/3/18/21184992/coronavirus-covid-19-flu-comparison-chart
[8]https://www.sciencealert.com/the-new-coronavirus-isn-t-like-the-flu-but-they-have-one-big-thing-in-common
[9]https://journals.lww.com/ajg/Fulltext/2019/10001/Bleach_Gargling___An_Effective_yet_Destructive.1777.aspx