Editorial: Stop sharing COVID-19 misinformation on Facebook

You’d think intelligent people would not line up en masse to buy toilet paper in bulk for an illness that is respiratory in nature, but they did and they continue, albeit to somewhat lesser degrees, to do so.

But putting the hoarder’s squeeze on the Charmin is not the only inexplicable activity currently at play on social media as people are sharing streams of misinformation about COVID-19.

By now, you’ve probably seen the meme (above left) with the blue head with the green virus images in the throat and the words that gargling water with salt will eliminate Coronavirus. It won’t, so stop sharing it.

You can learn the facts here: https://www.factcheck.org/2020/03/gargling-water-with-salt-wont-eliminate-coronavirus/

Another one making the rounds is that if you call the number on the back of the baby formula can, the company will send you a case for free. They won’t, so stop sharing this information.

You can learn the facts about this hoax here. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/free-case-of-baby-formula/

So, let’s stop sharing bullshit about this health emergency, and start googling a bit first before hitting the share button.

If you do not know how to do that, get your kids to teach you while they are home from school.

Your best source of information is well off the memes and incoherent ramblings on Facebook.

It is the Government of Alberta’s dedicated page on the situation here at https://www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx.

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