The Pandemonium of Covid-19 Misinformation

The Covid pandemic has caused untold suffering — physical, mental and financial – to almost every soul across the globe, but the consequences would have been far more serious if not for the relentless sacrifices of the medical fraternity. Amid utter chaos, confusion, uncertainty, fear and overwhelmed hospitals, doctors, nurses and healthcare workers walked out of their homes to take on the unseen virus when fear was in the air during the initial stages of the pandemic last year. Since then, they have been encountering death daily to save as many lives as they can. They have been witnessing triumph and tragedy unfold, watching patients battle the virus in isolation wards, some winning and some losing despite their efforts to save them. Thousands of healthcare workers too have died in the service of humanity. On top of that, they are vulnerable to the rage of the public, especially patients and relatives. Amid the high level of physical and mental stress they have to go through, they have been unceasingly rendering their services. Those posted in hill stations like Nagaland have to undergo even more challenges due to poor medical facilities, difficult terrains, shortage of manpower, etc. Some healthcare workers have to walk the extra mile to provide medical services and Covid-19 vaccination in rural areas, covering several kilometres on foot due to deplorable road conditions.

While healthcare workers continue to render their services, there is a section of the population who keep spreading rumours and speculations about the pandemic. Some create unnecessary fear as well as complacency from the comfort of their rooms, while others forward such unverified content on social media platforms without a second thought, thus causing an irreversible rippling effect. Medical doctors in Nagaland have expressed their disappointment over hordes of false information flooding social media platforms and allegations levelled against hospitals in the state, which they believe is breaking the trust between the people and the medical fraternity. Of course, the people have every right to seek and fight for justice if they suspect medical negligence but there is a way to deal with such cases. People should file complaints for cases as serious as medical negligence and not take to social media at the drop of a hat. Justice should be served if found guilty. In the same vein, knee-jerk reaction on public domain without evidence should be avoided and dealt with as per the law of the land.

Rumours and speculations around the Covid-19 pandemic are also responsible for the slow pace of getting back to normal life. It created panic when governments and medical experts around the world were trying to create awareness about the disease during the initial stages of the pandemic. Then it contributed to complacency, reluctance to take Covid test and vaccine hesitancy. At the end of the day, it helps nobody, especially during a pandemic of this magnitude. Should the government authorities and healthcare workers fight rumours or the pandemic? The least the public can do to honour the services of healthcare workers and assist those fighting the disease is by refraining from creating and spreading unfounded rumours, allegations and misinformation, be it on social media or outside of it.