KESIHATAN
- Nur Farhana Syahirah
As we acknowledge, COVID-19 is
a new type of virus that has hit the
human population worldwide, making
it a global pandemic. Due to the unfamiliarity
of the virus and its characteristics,
people are more prone to be vulnerable
when they are exposed to fake
news surrounding the deadly virus.
Something that has been spreading at
a much faster rate than the coronavirus
itself is the fallacy of its supposed
“cure” and the misconceptions regard-
ing the virus. These misconceptions
that are most commonly labelled as
“preventative measures”, “the ultimate
cure to COVID-19” and “how
COVID-19 spreads” are nothing but
a bunch of misinformation that may
not only potentially endanger a person
but it might also contribute to racist
attacks towards Asians. Here are some
of the common myths surrounding the
virus that we have gladly debunked!
For a person to be infected with the deadly virus, one must be exposed
to water droplets that come from a person with COVID-19. This is because
the virus is known as a respiratory type of virus that spreads mainly through
water droplets that can only be generated through coughing and sneezing.
A mosquito cannot be a channel or even a host to this new virus.
Another reason that may help to debunk this myth lies in the nature of the
virus itself. Other than water droplets that come from coughs and sneezes,
people can get infected with COVID-19 via saliva or saliva release and not
through blood. So, COVID-19 cannot be transmitted through mosquito bites.
As amazing as garlic maybe, it
cannot, however, helps to prevent
one from being infected with
COVID-19. According to the World
Health Organization (WHO), there
is no evidence yet that proves the
legitimacy of this myth.
According to the South China
Morning Post (SCMP), this
“harmless” myth has unfortunately
caused a woman to be hospitalised
due to an inflammation in her throat
after she consumed more than 1.5
kilograms worth of garlic thinking
that it may prevent her from being
infected with the virus.
This fear is definitely understandable as COVID-19 started off from an
animal that served as a host to this deadly virus. However, the legitimacy
of this myth has yet to be proven. Nevertheless, it has generated enough
fear for some people to go out of their way to dump their pets to the outside
world and some people even went the extra mile to kill it for the fear that
they may contract the virus from their pets.
Since this myth is yet to be proven, people are advised to constantly
wash their hands before coming in contact with their pets. Other than that,
pets are also advised to be kept at home to avoid any possible risks.
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