Five fake health tips on COVID-19 we should ignore

We know that COVID-19 is a new virus and there is no known treatment. Yet, there are lots of fake health advice being circulated on social media. The worst thing is that people are falsely attributing the sources of such information to UNICEF or medical doctors to make them sound genuine. I have looked at some of the most widely circulated health advice and verified with official sources. Here are the five fake health tips we should ignore.

The fight against COVID-19 calls for national unity and collective responsibility, not blame game

At around 05:00 in the morning on 6th March 2020, I was skimming through my Facebook Newsfeed when I suddenly came across the news of the first positive case of Coronavirus in the country. It instantly sent a chilling wave of panic and fear along my spine. I immediately went on to check the official Facebook pages of concerned agencies to verify the information and when I realized that the report was true, I was left shaken. Within no time, the news stirred up the entire population and triggered all sorts of debates and discussions on social media, mostly blaming the Hon’ble Prime Minister for not shutting down the tourism industry. This sudden shift from panic to hatred was more worrisome than the actual situation. More than the virus, I began to worry about our social harmony and national unity as Bhutanese.

The widespread misinformation about the new coronavirus outbreak calls for responsible use of social media

As the global community is struggling to cope with the new coronavirus outbreak that has originated in China, our social media platforms are overloaded with information that are often misleading. Since the day the news of the outbreak made international headlines, we have been seeing many social media users sharing their own theories about what could have caused the outbreak and how it can be controlled. I feel that it is not only the virus that is spreading across the globe. The rumors and misinformation about the outbreak are travelling even faster, spreading unnecessary fear and panic amongst the general population.

World AIDS Day 2017: Understanding HIV infection as an issue ofnational importance

Against all the odds, the world has made a significant progress in its fight against HIV and AIDS over the years. As we observe the World AIDS Day today, it’s appropriate that we reflect on how we could continue to work together to save the world from the disease and initiate care and support systems for those who are already living with the virus. But before that, it’s important that we have a clear understanding of what is HIV and AIDS so that we can effectively work together to create public awareness on the prevention and treatment of the disease.