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Where COVID-19 spreads, misinformation and disinformation seem to follow. Unverified cell phone voice notes, manipulated videos and exaggerated online claims are rapidly becoming the norm as the world tries to deal with the coronavirus outbreak. With so much information constantly hitting our screens, it's easy to fall prey to incorrect claims or outright propaganda. Luckily our academic authors across the globe are on hand to answer your questions and set the record straight. There are tips for spotting false information and why it does so much damage. Experts also weigh in on what might spread COVID-19: mosquitoes are almost certainly off the hook while the quandary about cats is addressed by an expert.
There is also a great deal of discussion around what might be used to treat the virus; here's why anti-malarial drugs probably aren't the silver bullet some have claimed. And academics explore whether losing your sense of taste and smell is a confirmed symptom and whether having antibodies for the virus is a guarantee that someone is protected for life.
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The spread of false information can have a devastating impact on affected communities.
Woohae Cho/Getty Images
Marina Joubert, Stellenbosch University
Misinformation spreads fast when people are afraid and a contagious and potentially fatal disease is frightening. This provides the ideal emotionally charged context for rumours to thrive.
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Cameron Webb (NSW Health Pathology)
Cameron Webb, University of Sydney
Mosquitoes are responsible for a number of potentially deadly illnesses, but they're highly unlikely to be playing a role in the COVID-19 pandemic.
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H. Colleen Sinclair, Mississippi State University
Here's what to watch out for, so you can protect yourself – and your social circles – from lies, half-truths and misleading spins on current events.
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Sarah L Caddy, University of Cambridge
To demonstrate infectivity, many more tests are needed.
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Parastou Donyai, University of Reading
Taking these drugs to treat COVID-19 without medical advice has caused poisonings and death.
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Katherine Seley-Radtke, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
A medicinal chemist addresses questions about chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine: what it is, whether it is effective against COVID-19 and whether it can treat and/or prevent this disease.
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Connor Bamford, Queen's University Belfast
Here's what protection from coronavirus looks like.
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Steven D. Munger, University of Florida; Jeb M. Justice, University of Florida
Patients who later test positive for COVID-19 are reporting early loss of smell and taste. Researchers are now trying to understand if this could be an early sign of the disease.
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En Français
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Marie Thiann-Bo Morel, Université de la Réunion
À La Réunion, la culture du risque a contribué à la mise en place rapide du confinement. Mais les mesures valables pour l’Hexagone ravivent dans l’île les graves inégalités socio-économiques.
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Chloé Maurel, École normale supérieure (ENS)
Retour sur quelques grands combats menés par l’OMS dans son histoire, et sur l’instrumentalisation politique et financière dont elle a souvent fait l’objet.
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