False information about the coronavirus has killed at least a thousand people worldwide.
This was reflected in the study of an international group of scientists.
Scientists have investigated more than 2,300 rumors and conspiracy theories about COVID-19 infection posted on social networks and news sites. The rumors were mainly related to the spread and death of the coronavirus, as well as the cause of the disease and treatment methods.
It turned out that most of the news contained harmful information, and some were life-threatening. Many of them are useless and can even increase the risk of infection. Such reports have so far resulted in the deaths of more than a thousand people worldwide.
The United States, India, as well as the United Kingdom, Spain, Indonesia and China have suffered the most from the false information.
Scientists consider it important to conduct campaigns to disseminate accurate information about the coronavirus infection on the websites of the Ministries of Health and other government portals, as well as on social networks.