I don’t have official statistics, but I would not be surprised if the coronavirus has been reported on the news more than any other story in history. When I opened the BBC news page today, every single story was about the virus. When I went on Facebook, nearly every single post was related in some way or another to the virus as well. When I talk to friends and family on the phone we talk of little else. And nearly every forward that I’m sent on WhatsApp is connected to Covid-19. The virus has, in every sense of the word, gone viral.
In among this abundance of information is plenty of fake news. In the last few months I have seen, or been sent, the following misinformation at least once:
· The virus was deliberately created in China
· It can be cured by drinking tea
· It can also be cured by inhaling steam
· The virus is being transported on trains across China to infect people
· Chinese people are coming over here to deliberately infect us
· From now on, only babies, children and the healthy will die
· The virus will end on <insert date here>
· It is caused by the 5G network
· Ice cream and spicy food should be avoided
· Drink tepid water throughout the day and you’ll be fine
· Take a hot bath to cure the virus
Every single one of the above statements has been proved to be false. You have undoubtedly seen many more. Is this a big deal? Sadly, yes. Re-read the list above and look to see which ones:
· Cause fear
· Cause complacency
· Cause hatred and racism
· Distract from the real advice from the NHS
As Christians, it must be our aim to speak only the truth. We do not want to add to the spread of fear, hatred and lies. We want people to be able to trust what we say, knowing that what we share is the truth. How else will they believe what we say about the gospel?
So what should you do if you see some information about coronavirus and you are not sure if it is true or worth sharing? Here are some tips:
Pause and think before you share. There is no rush! Think – does this story seem likely? Is the aim to spread fear, hatred or complacency? Does the information match what is found on the NHS website?
Ask yourself whether the information has come from a credible source. Just because the person says they got the message from a hospital/doctor/paramedic and so on, doesn’t mean they are telling the truth! If the source has not come from somewhere reputable, such as the BBC or the NHS website, be suspicious! Even if you know the person who sent it to you, that does not mean that they know the source or that it can be trusted.
Search for the story on the internet. If you can find the story on a well-known news outlet, such as the BBC, Telegraph or Guardian, then it is safe to share it. You can also check it on fact-checking websites such as Snopes.
If in doubt, don’t share! People share because they want others to be warned or helped by what they are sharing, but often these posts do more harm than good. We are all capable for searching for the information that we want online about the coronavirus without having multiple WhatsApp messages sent to us. If you want to share something useful, why not send the link to the NHS website or a news stories from the BBC. Best of all – share the good news about Jesus. This is what people really need to hear now and always!
Useful links