Beware of Misinformation about Covid-19: UNICEF

The UN Children Fund (UNICEF) on Sunday issued a statement alerting people against misleading information about the possible preventive steps against the novel disease purporting to be UNICEF messages.

''To members of the public, we ask that you seek accurate information about how to keep yourself and your family safe from verified sources,'' the UNICEF statement said quoting its deputy executive director Charlotte Petri Gornitzka.

She referred to UNICEF or World Health Organisation (WHO), government health officials and trusted healthcare professionals as authentic authorities on the coronavirus.

The UNICEF official simultaneously urged people to refrain from sharing information from ''untrustworthy or unverified sources” as that could spread “paranoia, fear, and stigmatization''.

''It can also result in people being left unprotected or more vulnerable to the virus,'' she said.

The statement issued from UNICEF’s New York office said ''sound preparation, based on scientific evidence, is what is needed at this time'' as people all around the world were taking necessary precautions to protect themselves and their families from coronavirus.

''However, while many people are sharing information about the virus and how to protect against it, only some of that information is useful or reliable,'' the statement read.

The statement particularly referred to a recent ''erroneous online message circulating in several languages around the world and purporting to be a UNICEF communication''.

The message, carried by social media and some mainstream ones, indicated that, among other things, avoiding ice cream and other cold foods could help prevent the onset of the disease.

''This is, of course, wholly untrue,'' the UNICEF statement said.

It added: ''To the creators of such falsehoods, we offer a simple message: STOP. Sharing inaccurate information and attempting to imbue it with authority by misappropriating the names of those in a position of trust is dangerous and wrong.''

UNICEF, however, acknowledged that it could be difficult in today’s information-rich society to know exactly ''where to go for knowledge about how to keep yourself and your loved ones safe''.

''But it is critical that we remain as diligent about the accuracy of the information we share as we are about every other precaution we take to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe,'' the statement said.

It said UNICEF was actively taking steps to provide accurate information about the virus by working with the World Health Organization, government authorities and online partners like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

The statement said it wants to make sure that accurate information and advice is available, as well as taking steps to inform the public when inaccurate information emerges.