Ever since the outbreak of the new strain of coronavirus originated from Wuhan, China, social media platforms have suddenly been flooded with news about the disease. 

Due to the panic and dearth of information about Covid-19, most people complement broadcast media with social media platforms to get informed and educated about the nuances of its origin, symptoms, and treatments. 

The Covid-19 rapidly spreads faster and wider affecting almost 2 million people and killing more than one hundred thousand people across the world. 

As Covid-19 rises, so is the barrage of medical hoaxes and unverified information about it. Since the outbreak of the Covid-19, misinformation, especially through WhatsApp, has risen in Africa particularly in Ghana. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nation Education and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) have bemoaned the rapid upsurge of misinformation and disinformation about the coronavirus, Covid -19. 

Technology companies-Google, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp which have taunted their capabilities in the past, in tackling fake news, are busily finding real-time solutions to combat the origination and spread of fake content in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. 

For instance, Google has established a 24-hour incident response team to tackle misinformation about COVID-19 while promoting the spreading of content from scientific and reliable sources. 

Again, Facebook has given the WHO and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) banners to promote awareness and educate the public about the coronavirus in Nigeria. 

A dozen of unverified posts about COVID-19 flooding on our social media platforms come in different forms. Some coronavirus misinformation includes using some herbs and food medicines as cures, spreading false advisories, and conspiracy theories. 

One fake advisory post allegedly came from UNICEF that recommended people to avoid ice creams, other cold foods, and undertaking frequent washing of cloths because the droplets of the coronavirus could stay on the fabric for about nine hours. 

Another medical hoax warns the public to keep their throats wet claiming that the ‘virus could invade into your body within 10 minutes’. 

Other coronavirus myths which have been strongly debunked by the WHO include: hand dryers are effective in killing the new coronavirus; spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body will kill the novel coronavirus and vaccines against pneumonia protect oneself against the new coronavirus.  

Another misleading conspiracy theory circulating on the social media alleges that the virus was created in a laboratory by china to target its rival nations. In some cases, inaccurate medical reports have been created for some individuals claiming that they have tested positive to COVID-19. 

The latest coronavirus myth or conspiracy theory is the linkage of 5G to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic though there have been no scientific findings to support that. 

WHO has recently debunked this false assertion about the linkage between the 5G as causation to the deaths associated with the Covid-19. 

In addition, the Google-owned video-sharing service, YouTube bans all conspiracy theory videos that linked the 5G to the health crisis. 

What accounts for fake news?

A section of the public deliberately author, publish and spread fake news to increase their followership on social media platforms. 

They believe that there is a social reward in spreading fake news, in return for the many likes and comments they get from their platforms. 

The greed for being viral drives fakers to disseminate misinformation about the Coronavirus pandemic. 

In some cases, others forward them across their WhatsApp groups or other platforms sometimes out of ignorance or based on the euphoria that is associated with being the ‘’news breakers’’. Low level of media literacy and inadequate information and knowledge about this novel covid-19 contributes to the wild spread of medical hoaxes. 

According to Nuurrianti Jalli, some of the contributing factors for the rapid spread of fake news include the dearth of appropriate legislation; poor enforcement of relevant legislation against fake news and easy content sharing using social media platforms. 

What are the negative effects of fake news?

A false news about the coronavirus pandemic could swell up public anxiety and creates unnecessary panic. Again, fake news could be used to proffer fake medical cures and for ‘’political point-scoring’’. 

In the end, most innocent people end up believing and assimilating many of these falsities. 

What are governments’ responses to end fake news?

Some governments across the world have taken steps to tackle the menace of fake news amid the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. 

In Indonesia, the government is actively working and collaborating with fact-checking institutions, including Masyarakat Anti Fitnah (MAFINDO), to fight against the disseminating of fake news on the novel coronavirus. Some number of individuals have been arrested for sharing such medical hoaxes. 

In the Philippines, the Department of Justice assigned the country’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to arrest and prosecute agents of medical hoaxes. 

In Malaysia, the government uses two laws: the Malaysian Penal Code and the Communication and Multimedia Act to combat the spread of fake news relating to the new strain of coronavirus. 

In Thai, on January 30, 2020, the governments admonished its citizens against spreading fake news on the cov19 or suffer imprisonment not less than five years under the country’s Computer Crime Act.

 In India, the IT Act, Penal Code and the Disaster Management Act are being used to tackle medical hoaxes.

In Nigeria, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) uses banners from Facebook to provide education and awareness of coronavirus. 

Fact-checking institutions like AfricaCheck is checking and debunking false information in local language like Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo on covid-19. 

In South Africa, the government has enacted the new regulations for the Disaster Management Acct to combat against the spread of fake news about coronavirus. Culprits could be fined or imprisoned not less than six (6) months. 

In Kenya, the Directorate of Criminal Investigation has warned its citizens against the ‘’authoring, publishing or sharing unconfirmed information that may cause panic and anxiety’’. Culprits are subjected to a fine, not less than five million shillings or imprisonment not less than ten (10) years or both. 

In the UK, the National Health Service established its own counter-disinformation unit to collaborate with technology companies in fighting the menace of fake news.

In Ghana, while addressing the nation, On April 6, 2020, the President, Nana Akuffo Addo warned the public against the circulation of fake videos of alleged brutalities meted out by some members of the security personnel and tasked their leadership to smoke out the culprits. 

It is an offence to publish fake information with the intention to cause fear and alarm according to section 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, (Act 29). 

It is also offensive to use an electronic means to disseminate false information that could endanger the safety of others per section 76 of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008(Act 775). 

Spreading false information could lead one to five (5) years in prison or a fine not less than (GHS36,000.00). Some broadcast media houses complement the efforts of government in using their platforms to fact check information on the COVID-19 before disseminating such information. 

What can be done?

It is recommended for individuals to crosscheck information before sharing; consume information from reliable media platforms and get informed about the legislation against fake news in order not to fall prey to the law. 

Broadcast media should scrub fake news from their platforms and accurately disseminate reliable information about the COVID-19. 

Fact-checking institutions like AfricaCheck should intensify fact-checking and debunk false information about the COVID-19. 

Social media operators-Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp should take steps to block and or remove fake contents from their platforms. 

The government should initiate an intense awareness campaign on the laws and negative impact of false news and prohibit the advertisements for products that have unscientific cures for the COVID-19. 

The government through the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the broadcast media and the technology companies should send text and video messages to citizens to counteract any form of misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic.