Study reveals: Corona rumors cost hundreds of lives - government measures can also be harmful

The coronavirus pandemic is accompanied by a flood of information on social media - misinformation has already cost hundreds of lives, according to a study.

• An international study deals with rumors, misinformation and conspiracy theories from social media relating to the coronavirus *.
• The result shows something terrifying: Several thousand people had to be treated in the hospital because they were exposed to false information .
• There is also talk of fatalities - the authors have an appeal to governments.
• Here you will find the basic facts about the coronavirus * and a map showing the current number of cases in Germany.

Sydney / Munich - In the course of the Corona crisis , information and rumors about it spread around the globe , just as quickly as the virus itself. Scientists call it “infodemia” when there is an overflow of information - and rumors mix with facts. It was already known from the Ebola epidemic in western Africa that misinformation can lead to exclusion and violence, but also cost lives - for example, when the Ebola virus itself was declared a false report on social media and medical staff were carriers of the disease.

An international group of social scientists, physicians and epidemiologists have now examined 2,311 posts from websites and social media in 87 countries that dealt with the disease, its transmission routes and cures and antidotes. The result shows that rumors and misinformation can cost lives - and sometimes take on absurd traits.

Coronavirus conspiracy theories and myths: 800 people die after drinking straight alcohol

Around 800 people died because they were caught up in the myth that drinking pure alcohol could kill the virus - over 5,000 people around the world had to go to hospital as a result, and more than 60 were blind. But supposed medicinal herbs can also cause damage: 12 people in India fell ill after drinking a liqueur made from the poisonous seeds of the Datura plant .

# COVID-19 – Related #Infodemic and Its Impact on #Public Health: A Global Social Media Analysis https://t.co/2V1IglzY73 @MononTonmoy @arifulidu @ Dalia05005268 @ KamalCh56887149 @ Alamgir92903100 @ SazzholadHKhan1 @ doctorHenaseaMost @UNSW @ASTMH pic.twitter.com/yHVLEGW0iw

The most dangerous thing about conspiracy theories is the loss of confidence in politics and medicine: The consequences of this, for example disregarding guidelines or refusing medical help, can also be harmful to health. However, the direct health effects of conspiracy theories in this study appear to be far behind the effects of rumors and myths.

Coronavirus Conspiracies and Misinformation: South Korean Church Accidentally Infects 100 Believers

In Southeast Asia, fear of stigmatization, many people withheld their symptoms or contacts with infected people when visiting hospitals - which led to the infection of many medical workers . But it was not just the misconduct of individuals that led to the spread of the virus: For example, a church in South Korea sprayed the believers in their mouths as a preventive measure during a mass: but one of the first to use the supposed antidote received, was infected, this fair ended with over 100 infections .

The authors point out that political measures always have two sides: the lockdowns that were quickly introduced in many countries around the world would have led to panic buying - and the sale of hand disinfectants , for example, could have contributed to more people having to go to hospital than otherwise would have been necessary. Thus, misinformation on a social level can also pose health risks.

In view of the millions and billions of deals for vaccines and pharmaceuticals between governments and pharmaceutical companies, which many countries seem to ignore, many are rightly concerned about whether there will be other healing methods - but bringing forward rumors should not become a strategy. The authors of the study therefore recommend governments and organizations to take the spread of misinformation seriously and to counteract it through clear communication.

(kat / * Merkur.de is part of the Germany-wide Ippen-Digital editors network)