COVID-19 myths, misinformation, infodemics and information hygiene: A narrative review

Abstract

Background: At the end of 2019, a novel viral disease COVID 19 has devastated the world. From epidemic in China, it has transformed to pandemic worldwide. It is the most severe outbreak in terms of both spread and mortality in recent times. Along with the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, there an emergence of thousands of misinformation called Infodemics. The infodemic is spreading faster than the pandemic. Fake news and misinformation were searched from popular news and social media platforms. The spread of misinformation has spread rapidly compared to the disease itself. The myths were easily debunked by asking an expert or searching approved and verified links in the internet. It is the need of the hour to train the new generation of social media users to look for the genuine source of information rather than believing anything they read or hear.