With the drastic changes that have come with this pandemic, people all over the world are desperate for information. People want to know what to do, how to handle this new situation, and how to keep themselves safe. With the current circumstances, it isn’t wrong to feel this way. Unfortunately, there are people who are spreading false rumors about Covid-19, some of which can cause harm to any who believe them. People are trusting sources with no credibility, such as their friends or colleagues’ posts on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram. Although these people may have good intentions, they are spreading false information about a critical subject.
One of the most popular lies that the public has been led to believe is that the virus isn't very dangerous to you unless you are very old or very young. People have used this as an excuse as to why they might be out in public, completely ignoring safe social distancing rules. People of all ages are at risk if they get the virus. One reason that so many people believed this was because it statistically true at first. Young adults and teens suffered very few deaths in the early stages of the spread. Since then, the cases have risen for people of that age, and current research shows that young adults and teens are very much at risk.
Another rumor going around is that there is a cure that has been developed, tested, and is ready to be used on the public. One thing that helped spread this is some people's failure to differentiate a treatment from a cure. Most treatments are the best you can do at home which aren't very effective. Most of them are also based on treatments the flu. Another misleading factor was that Russia claimed to have one, although most scientists around the world don't consider it to be viable.
Hopefully you've learned a little more about what's true and what's not. make sure you get information from sources you can trust and not off of a high-schooler's Instagram. Wear a mask, keep your distance, and stay safe.