Since some time ago, in my country (guess which:), many press institutions are spreading around big panic. Probably in your country it happens too.

The hot topic of the moment is CORONA VIRUS. Fear and panic are two of the essential ingredients of sensational news, and the news creates huge audiences. The larger is the audience, the greater will be the profit brought by advertising.

I have read related literature in the last few days. It is said that the virus coming from China is a biological weapon against the aging population; that it was produced in the laboratory for use in a future war; that there will be a period of famine and that we must prepare, that the economical and financial crisis is coming soon, etc.

Now, one reality is certain, bad and alarming news, real or false, is spreading far faster than the epidemic virus. I think that, at this point, fake news is more dangerous than the virus itself. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls this hysteria an infodemia - the epidemic of alarmist information, or an excessive amount of information concerning a problem such that the solution is made more difficult.

Now, in all this uproar, instead of alarming, it is better for us to turn our attention to official information confirmed by WHO (reports released yesterday, 28.02.2020): 

• 5% of coronavirus infections are in China! It has reached about 83,000 diseases;
• About over 3600 cases have been reported in the rest of the world;
• The number of the healed is significant, 36000, compared to the number of those who lost their lives;
• In 97% of cases, the disease manifests as a cold: runny nose, sore throat and little cough;
• The most vulnerable are, as in the case of the epidemic, the elderly. Most of them have television channels as their main source of information. They have no money to make supplies for a few months. They only have the TV, where broadcasters tell them that hell is coming and that we have every reason to panic.

Nevertheless, do we have any reason to panic?

No, we don’t. Panic is never a reaction that can lead to something good; there is no real information that could cause panic, at least until now.

Thus, do we have any reason to be worried?

Yes, but no more than we are concerned about seasonal flu. Last year (2019) in Romania we had 40 deaths from influenza (flu) in 50 days, but the national hysteria did not start about this. But about coronavirus, with no proven case, the hysteria is present and people empty the stores and stock up on food, which they will throw away later for the most part!

Nonetheless, we must care about our families and those who need our help!

• We can be of help by providing information of public interest about how we can protect ourselves against a virus.
• We can talk to those scared to give them as much as possible a valid, not alarming, information.
• Moreover, YES, we can knock on the door of elderly or sick neighbors who may need supplies and support.
• And, of course precaution is necessary. 

In our Community, which counts around 60,000 people, I know many people are well informed, so let’s react normally every time there is a crisis in the society. And do what is normal: don’t panic, take care of yourself, your family, and your neighbors.

References:

The World Health Organization about infodemia: https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/481387-were-in-an-infodemic-with-too-much-information

Flu death in Romania: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-01/30/c_137784998.htm

Image source: Pixabay license, free for commercial use, no attribution required.

The definition of “infodemic”: https://www.yourdictionary.com/infodemic