Coronavirus, Social Media and Hysteria

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The events which transpired on Tuesday, January 28 will long remain in the memories of most Jamaicans. In addition to the 7:7 earthquake which struck Jamaica at approximately 2:10 pm and which triggered panic attacks among the population, a number of persons on social media circulated news that Jamaica had a suspected case of the dreaded coronavirus.  The already tense atmosphere soon went into overdrive by early afternoon when the earthquake struck. According to dictionary.com panic is a sudden overwhelming fear, with or without cause, that produces hysterical or irrational behavior, and that often spreads quickly through a group of persons. Many persons could not concentrate on their work or studies as news was being circulated on social media that the coronavirus had reached the shores of Jamaica. Social media users, especially on Twitter were very irresponsible in passing on what we now know was not factual news. THE University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) has denied reports that it’s Accident and Emergency Department had been partially shut down due to a suspected case of the dreaded new coronavirus. The panic and hysteria began after a couple who had travelled to China in early January turned up at the UHWI after complaining of joint pain and fever. According to UHWI they conducted the necessary tests which did not turn up the coronavirus. It is important to note that Jamaica has a significant number of Chinese many of whom travel back and forth frequently. A significant number of the Chinese nationals work for the China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC), the company which is currently engaged in major infrastructural work in Jamaica building hospitals, roads and schools across the length and breadth of the island. There are also a significant number of Chinese students who attend our primary and secondary schools. A number of Jamaican teachers also work in China. A number of patients and staff were seen wearing surgical masks. In fact there was a rush to secure surgical masks resulting in a shortage. The Minister of Health and Wellness had to call a news conference to address what turned out to be faked news. The coronavirus is spreading like the bushfires in Australia. The following countries have reported cases of the coronavirus, China, United States, France, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, Nepal, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Canada, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Germany, United Arab Emirates, India and The Philippines. According to news reports there have been over 7,700 cases of the coronavirus worldwide resulting in 170 deaths. The World Health Organization, (WHO) states December 31, 2019, the organization was alerted to several cases of pneumonia in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. The virus did not match any other known virus. This raised concern because when a virus is new, we do not know how it affects people. One week later, on  January 7, Chinese authorities confirmed that they had identified a new virus. The new virus is a coronavirus, which is a family of viruses that include the common cold, and viruses such as SARS and MERS.  The Telegraph states that the coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from a cold to more severe diseases. Typically, symptoms include a fever, fatigue, sore throat and dry cough, and may later develop into breathing difficulties. These viruses are transmitted between animals and people. This novel coronavirus, currently named 2019-nCoV, is a new strain that had not been previously identified in humans. The source of the coronavirus is believed to be a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. The city's health commission said the infection broke out between December 12 and 29, with some of the patients employed at the market. The animal source of the outbreak has not been identified but two recent research papers have pointed to bats and snakes as the possible reasons. The market in Wuhan, which is now closed, was home to stalls trading in many different animals, including snakes, marmots and poultry. These “wet” markets are popular in China as customers like to purchase their meat “warm” that is, recently slaughtered. The world is facing a health crisis. It is unfortunate that many of us use social media to impress others. Instead, we must be responsible in how we use social media and try and positively impact those around us. It bares thought that those of us who share news must ensure that the source of our news is credible. Those of us who share news on social media which is almost unregulated must also ensure that we are sharing factual news as anything less can create an environment of panic and hysteria in the society.  In the words of Mike Houdeshell, social media is like a bakery. You can lose credibility, goodwill and fans by serving up stale and boring content.    

Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.
waykam@yahoo.com
@WayneCamo
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