Coronavirus, Fear and Social Media

“Epidemics follow patterns because diseases follow patterns. Viruses spread; they reproduce; they die. – Jill Lepore
The world is on full alert. There is a sense of fear across all jurisdictions which is being fueled by conspiracy theories and the use of social media. We have never before seen this type of global response to a virus or disease as we do with the coronavirus disease (CO-VID19) outbreak. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the coronavirus started in Wuhan, China on December 31, 2019. The coronavirus has since then spread to all continents except for Antarctica. The virus has infected over 80,000 people thus far and has killed more than 3,000 worldwide  In the midst of the heighten awarenss of this deadly virus the average person is caught in a bit of confusion regarding whether the coronavirus is still an epidemic or has moved on to be a pandemic. The World Health Organization defines a pandemic as the worldwide spread of a new disease. Many believe that the coronavirus meets this definition of a pandemic. Coronavirus” is often prefaced with the word novel, because that is precisely what it is: a new strain in a family of viruses we have not seen before. WedMd states that coronaviruses were first identified in the 1960s, but we do not know where they originate from. They get their names from their crown-like shapes. Most coronaviruses spread the same way other cold-causing viruses do; through infected people coughing and sneezing, by touching an infected person's hands or face, or by touching things such as doorknobs that infected people have touched. According to the WHO, coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that range from the common cold to much more serious diseases. These diseases can infect both humans and animals.

We have seen fewer people contracting the virus in China in recent weeks. We now have South Korea, Italy and Iran as the places where the virus appears to be spreading most rapidly. Outside of China, South Korea and Iran have recorded most deaths from the coronavirus. In some countries such as Iran and China the government controls the media, and as such this lends itself to questions surrounding the veracity of the information leaving these countries.  Many countries have banned travel to various countries where the outbreak of the coronavirus seems to be out of control. There have been quarantine and isolation facilities established in almost all countries for those suspected  or confirmed, of having the virus. Many international events have been cancelled or postponed in order to minimize the spreading of the virus.  Global tourism is being negatively impacted due to the travel ban to certain countries. Additionally, international cruise shipping has taken a huge impact because of the outbreak of the coronavirus. The Diamond Princess Cruise ship which was docked at the Yokohama port in Japan readily comes to mind where passengers suspected or confirmed with the coronavirus were quarantined on board for up to fourteen days.  Stock markets across the globe continue to plummet due to the fear associated with the coronovirus. The fear of a global recession is real. The next global event is the Olympics in Tokyo, Japan scheduled for July 24, to August 9, 2020.  Many expect the Summer Olympics to be postponed or perhaps moved to another country, although the latter is unlikely since it requires years of planning to host an event of such magnitude. It would be highly irresponsible for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to go forward with the Olympics if the coronavirus is not contained very soon. Not only would the lives of athletes be placed at risk but having so many persons gathered in one space. Undoubtedly, this would present a perfect opportunity for the coronavirus to spread to many more countries once these athletes return to their respective countries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the coronavirus is spread primarily through person to person contact and through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs of sneezes. The CDC adds that symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, cough and shortness of breath and usually appear between 2 to 14 days after exposure..

Scamming and Social Media
Social media can be defined in numerous ways. The core of social media hinges on the ability of these platforms to facilitate people of various backgrounds to interact with each other. In this regard social media can be defined as an array of communication platforms which allow the user to interface with other users regardless of geographical boundaries.  Social media allows for users to share content quickly and in real time. Amidst the global efforts and coordination to contain, and indeed find a cure for the coronavirus there are those who seek to benefit from this deadly virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that criminals are disguising themselves as WHO to steal money or sensitive information.  The WHO has advised that if you are contacted by a person or organization that appears to be from WHO, to verify their authenticity before responding.  The World Health Organization states that they are aware of suspicious email messages attempting to take advantage of the 2019 novel coronavirus emergency. This fraudulent action is called phishing. These “Phishing” emails appear to be from WHO, and will ask you to: give sensitive information, such as usernames or passwords, click a malicious link and open a malicious attachment. We must be mindful that criminals can install malware or steal your sensitive information by using this method.  
The Caribbean
On Sunday, March 1, the first case of the coronavirus was reported in the Dominica Republic after a 62 year old Italian male was checked into a hospital on Saturday. St. Maarten and St. Barthelemy have also reported cases of the virus. As a result of this news the Caribbean has become more vulnerable regarding the virus impacting other islands. This news is extremely worrying for many reasons; one is the lack of resources to adequately protect the respective populations and the other is the overwhelming dependency of the region on tourism which is the mainstay of many islands. Dominica Republic has a population of 11 million people and shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.  The time is now for the Caribbean Community to have a regional response surrounding the coronavirus which has now entered the Caribbean.  We cannot give in to fear. Those of us who share information  on social media must do so in a responsible manner. It is advisable to check your sources before sending out information which most times can be misleading.  
The medical fraternity advises us to wash our hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Additionally, we should cover our nose and mouth when we sneeze. Finally, when you are sick, stay home from work or school and drink lots of fluids. Those individuals with underlying non -communicable diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and kidney diseases are especially at further risk should they be inflicted by the coronavirus. Governments all over need to step up their public education campaign regarding the likely impact of the coronavirus on its population especially those who are most vulnerable. There is currently no vaccine to prevent the coronavirus; the best way to prevent illness is to avoid exposure to the virus
In the words of Timothy Brewer, a professor of epidemiology and medicine, There is no value in panicking or telling people to be afraid. Do not let fear and emotion drive the response to this virus.
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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