India’s Covid battle: US surgeon general Dr Vivek Murthy warns Indian Americans against misinformation

US surgeon general Dr Vivek Murthy on Sunday warned Indian Americans and Indians against the misinformation about the coronavirus as India fights against the dangerous second wave of Covid-19 cases.

“Misinformation is a virus itself, and it harms people, and it sometimes compels them to take actions that puts put them and other people at risk,” Murthy said in a virtual outreach to Indian Americans on dangers of misinformation as India battles its worst public health crisis in a century.

“In a pandemic when you’re responding, information is power and if you can get the right information to people they can take steps to protect themselves,” Murthy said further, adding that the government and the private sector can make all the vaccine and masks they want, but “they will be of no value if people don’t want to use them because of misinformation about them”.

There are many misinformation including the super power of hydroxychloroquine and cow urine in treating Covid-19 and improving immunity have been spreading ever since the pandemic started making havoc in the world.

“My parents like many other Indian immigrants of their generation are part of WhatsApp groups,” Murthy said, adding, “they serve a wonderful purpose of keeping them connected to friends and family, but they can also become platforms to which misinformation rapidly spreads and that has been the case”.

“Remind yourself that the source matters, right, and the source is not your uncle or aunt or sister or brother who sent it to you on WhatsApp. The source is a person who created that content, who made that video put out that post, right,” Murthy said.