This document discusses the COVID-19 infodemic and efforts to combat misinformation. It defines the infodemic as an overabundance of information, some accurate and some not, that makes it difficult to find trustworthy sources of guidance. This contributes to the spread of misinformation. Examples of COVID-19 superstitions and myths are provided. Efforts by organizations like UNESCO to promote fact-checking and skepticism are mentioned. The document also discusses the impact on mental health and provides tips for improving physical and mental health during the pandemic, such as yoga techniques and limiting news consumption. It provides websites containing reliable COVID-19 information.

1. z
Health: Demystifying
Obfuscations and
Superstitions
COVID-19 INFODEMIC

2. TEAM MEMBERS:
• ABHISHEK KUSHWAHA 201116460 SECTION B
• VIRENDRA KUMAR VERMA 201113245 SECTION B
• TUSHAR BHURIA 201112238 SECTION C
• DURGESH SHAH 201116463 SECTION E
• MANISH KUMAR 201116039 SECTION E
• SHUBHAM SARIYA 201114217 SECTION H

3. INDEX
• INFODEMIC
• SUPERSTITIONS
• MYTHS OF COVID-19
• EFFORTS TO COMBAT INFODEMIC
• PHYSICAL HEALTH / YOGA
• MENTAL HEALTH
• CONCLUSIONS
• REFERENCE

4. “We're not just fighting a pandemic; we're
fighting an Infodemic”
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
WHO's director-general
2020 Munich Security Conference

5. COVID-19 INFODEMIC
WHAT IS IT,MISINFORMATION
What is the Infodemic?
As stated by the WHO, the COVID-19 outbreak and response has been
accompanied by a massive Infodemic: an overabundance of information –
some accurate and some not – that makes it hard for people to find
trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it.
What is Misinformation?
Misinformation is false or inaccurate information deliberately
intended to deceive. In the context of the current pandemic, it can
greatly affect all aspects of life, specifically people’s mental health,
since searching for COVID-19 updates on the Internet has jumped
50% – 70% across all generations. Misinformation in a pandemic can
negatively affect human health
Access to the right
information, at the
right time, in the right
format IS
CRITICAL!

6. COVID-19 INFODEMIC
HOW DOES INFODEMIC CONTRIBUTE TO MISINFORMATION
How does the Infodemic contribute to
Misinformation?
Increased global access to cell phones with an Internet
connection, as well as social media, has led to the exponential
production of information and the number of possible paths
for getting it, creating an information epidemic or infodemic.
It is key to break this dangerous
cycle: misinformation expands
at the same pace as content
production and distribution
paths grow. So, the very same
infodemic accelerates and
perpetuates misinformation.

7. COVID-19 INFODEMIC
IMPACT OF INFODEMIC
Why can the Infodemic make the
pandemic worse?
Makes it hard for people, decision makers, and health workers
to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they
need it. Sources may be apps, scientific organizations,
websites, blogs, “influencers,” and more • People may feel
anxiety, depression, overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and
unable to meet important demands • It can affect decision-
making processes when immediate answers are expected and
not enough time is allotted to deeply analyze the evidence
The abundance of information on social media frequently without any check on its
authenticity makes it difficult for an individual to distinguish between what are facts, and
what are opinions, propaganda or biases. There is a huge increase in stories on social
media that may initially appear credible but later prove false or fabricated; however, by the
time they are proven to false, the damage may be irreversible.

9. WHAT IS SUPERSTITIONS?
 FEAR OF WHAT IS UNKNOWN AND MYSTERIOUS.
 BELIEFS THAT SOME EVENTS BRING GOOD OR BAD OUTCOMES.
 BASED ON FEAR , IGNORANCE , TRUST IN MAGIC, COINCIDENCE.

10. COVID-19 SUPERSTITIONS
•COW DUNG AND URINE CAN CURE COVID-19:
•GANGAJAL CAN PROTECT AGAINST COVID-19:
•RELIGIOUS PERFORMANCES:
While cow urine and cow dung might be used as components in some medicinal formulations, claiming their
efficacy in curing COVID-19 is certainly far-fetched. No such statement has yet been made by any laboratory or
scientist.
Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has politely turned down the request, citing the lack of “strong enough”
•Some people are performing special rituals using coconut shell with neem and placing these outside the village
under neem trees to ward off evil spirits. They believe that by doing so, the coronavirus will not enter their village
(DHNS, 2020).
•Some people believe the pandemic is a test by Allah of their faith, while some others assert that it is a sign of
Allah's divine anger and punishment (Abderrahmani, 2020).

12. Some myths of covid-19 :

15. COVID-19 INFODEMIC
EFFORTS TO COMBAT THE INFODEMIC
Efforts to combat the infodemic :
• The UNESCO is making efforts to counter misinformation and promote the
facts about the COVID-19 disease. The agency is using the hashtags
#ThinkBeforeClicking, #ThinkBeforeSharing and #ShareKnowledge, and
promoting the view that the rights to freedom of expression and access to
information are the best ways of combating the dangers of disinformation
(UN News, 2020).
• The World Economic Forum (2020) published a three steps guideline on
‘how to read the news like a scientist and avoid the COVID-19 ‘infodemic’’.
It includes (i) embracing uncertainty – responsibly, (ii) asking where’s the
information coming from? (iii) determining who’s backing up the claim.
Fighting this
infodemic is the
new front in the
COVID-19 battle
(Child, 2020).
In the ‘post-truth’ era, audiences are
likely to believe information that appeals
to their emotions and personal beliefs, as
opposed to information that is regarded
as factual and or objective
(Maoret, 2017).

16. COVID-19 INFODEMIC
GUIDES TO IDENTIFY FAKE NEWS
Another useful checklist for
determining the reliability
of the information source is
CRAAP (currency, relevance,
authority, accuracy and
purpose) created by the
Meriam Library, California
State University & Chico.

18. yoga

19. Various Yoga Techniques to improve Physical
Health In this pandemic

21. To-Do Task in Pandemic for Health

22. EFFECT ON
MENTAL HEALTH

23. 50% of mental health conditions begin by age 14 and 75%
of mental health conditions develop by age 24.

27. Conclusion

28. Our Websites:
https://www.instagram.com/health.myths
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEGrO5TuhDBrxSn1xmI1tHg

30. THANK
#Stay
Positive
#Stay
Home
YOU
#Stay
Healthy
#Stay
Safe