Don’t get Washed Away with Rumors!

I remember so many articles that came out when the Novel Coronavirus was starting to
make headlines everywhere. Some were a bunch of clickbait titles such as “Bananas, a cure for
COVID-19?” or those leaning to theories of the origin of the virus such as China possibly using
it as a biological warfare against the U.S or that it was deliberately released to the air with an
antidote already readied by the government of China, which would explain the complete stop of
the spread of the virus in China.
It bewildered me how various people quickly believed such posts and even went on
spreading racial discrimination against the general Chinese population from such unverified
speculations. One particular example being that viral video that spread online where Asians were
being attacked and asked to leave from the train they were riding in. There were even articles
predicting the possibility of food shortage, a downfall to the global economy, and a total
lockdown, resulting to everyone going on a huge manic buying spree.
Grocery shelves were empty a few days after. People rushed to stores, grabbing anything
that they may need. Stocking up food and other necessary supplies in bulk and boxes became the
bare minimum to the standard of “surviving” the pandemic. Panic-buying became such a trend
that people soon only fended for themselves, not thinking about the possible consequences their
actions may bring. Artificial shortage of facial masks and alcohols soon followed with a huge
number of people left without surgical masks and alcohol to their usage, particularly front liners
who were sure to need them more.
I’m just going to say it all out there. We people need to calm down. Don’t think of the
situation reaching its worst possible outcome. Don’t be paranoid. Majority are all always
alarmed of any information that is published relating to COVID-19, only reading the clickbait
titles and not analyzing the whole article itself. The battle against this pandemic is a battle not
fought alone but with a whole community willing to be objective and not swayed blindly by false
news that could possibly cause anxiety and panic in society.
There are a lot of verified and certified websites and pages on the Internet that spread
legitimate information about COVID-19 and any other related news to it. It would be better to
relay the information and other data they publish to popular social media applications or websites
to spread awareness to the people and to ease minds.
Lastly, always be critical and do not be afraid to call out other people who, whether
deliberately or by mistake, share false information regarding the pandemic. What we need right
now is a society that is objective and hopeful that this pandemic would end with the minimal
casualties possible. Selflessness and prudence are virtues everyone should be practicing right
now.
Let us always look at the truth of the matter in every information that comes within our
purview. Let us not be swayed by exaggerated and false facts spreading on the Web. Let us not
let these fake news control our rationality, reasoning, and actions. Let us all move to a better
tomorrow with fairness, selflessness, and kindness.