About this site

As COVID19 continues to spread all over the world, so does false and misleading information. 

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Since the outbreak began in January, many of our conversations and daily lives now centre around the virus, from discussing what are the best precautions to prevent catching the virus to checking if supermarkets still have toilet paper in stock. 

The situation is so bad to the point that the World Health Organisation has declared the spread of false information an “infodemic”, which they warn can pose risks to global health. 

During these months, I’ve seen many people, young and old, fall for misinformation all over social media. Sometimes they may simply share unverified health advice (take vitamin C, drink warm water to kill the virus) with a click of a button or forward to friends and family as a way to look out for them.

Other times they write emotionally charged posts to go with false videos. For example, one video claims that Chinese people eating wildlife is the cause of COVID19. In extreme cases, people may even do irrational things such as panic buying and unnecessary hoarding, just because they have seen fake messages on Whatsapp warning about food and toilet paper shortage.

There are so many useful tools on the internet that can help us check and verify information, such as photos, texts or videos. There are also many fact-checking and news organisations that are working tirelessly to look out for fake news.

COVID19 will eventually come to an end. But misinformation will still crop up linked to different types of events, such elections or protests. Therefore, learning the basics of debunking false information, as well as knowing which sources are reliable, will help us tell truthful information from lies.

I hope this website will encourage you to learn more about the impact of misinformation and how you can play your part to fight it.