When my children were younger, they loved to watch this TV show called MythBusters.
It is about these 2 experts who set out to test whether a particular myth or urban legend is true. They actually set up experiments to prove or disprove the myth as part of the TV show.
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So I found it strange when browsing through the WHO website that they have a page dedicated to Covid 19 myths.
I guess after President Trump's famous advice on bleach, light and hydroxychloroquine, I am not surprised to see such advice on WHO website.
But I am really curious whether the Myth Buster page went up before or after Trump's famous advice. Unfortunately, I did not visit the WHO website earlier so I don’t have personal experience
There are actually 30 myths listed so I decided to categorize them as follows. Have fun.
1) Myths about protecting yourself against Covid 19 by applying things to your body
- Spraying and introducing bleach or another disinfectant into your body. OK we all know why this is here
- Rinsing your nose with saline
- Taking a hot bath
- Exposing yourself to the sun or to temperatures higher than 25C degrees
- Using hand dryers to kill Covid 19
- Using Ultra-violet (UV) lamps to disinfect hands or other areas of your skin
- Cold weather and snow CANNOT kill Covid 19
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2) Eating or drinking certain food to prevent or cure Covid 19
- Drinking alcohol
- Adding pepper to your meals
- Eating garlic
- Drinking methanol, ethanol or bleach
3) Myths about how animals/insects spread Covid 19 - By houseflies or mosquito bites.
4) Myths about how to check for Covid
- Being able to hold your breath for 10 seconds or more without coughing or feeling discomfort
- Thermal scanners CANNOT detect COVID-19
5) Myths about how Covid is spread
- Can shoes spread Covid 19 – only the westerns asked this question since more Asians don’t wear our shoes into the house
- Fact: Covid 19 can be transmitted in areas with hot and humid climates
6) Covid medication and treatment
- Any antibiotics, drugs, vaccines, or other specific medicines?
- Will people who get it recover?
- Does the new coronavirus affect older people, or are younger people also susceptible?
7) Misc myths
- Can people wear masks while exercising?
Designed by Freepik - Covid 19 is caused by a virus. NOT by bacteria.
- Prolonged use of medical masks DOES NOT cause CO2 intoxication nor oxygen deficiency
- 5G mobile networks?
Why do myths arise?
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the word myth derives from the Greek mythos, which has a range of meanings from “word,” through “saying” and “story,” to “fiction”.
Because myths narrate fantastic events with no attempt at proof, it is sometimes assumed that they are simply stories with no factual basis, and the word has become a synonym for falsehood or, at best, a misconception.
Do you know that there is actually a Centre for the Study of Myth at the University of Aberdeen chaired by Robert Segal who is currently editing the Oxford Handbook of Myth Theory.
He has a blog posting titled Myth: A Very Short Introduction if you are interested to read further.
Malaysia, of course, have our own myths
- There is a 3rd wave coming
- We have enough capacity to test all foreign workers
- It will be safe to have a haircut from a barber with a Covid test certificate
- The SOP will work for the kindergarten students
- OK, I won't go into the one about drinking hot water
My view is that the myths arise because people are not using science-based and/or data-based evidence to support their point.
The point gets accepted just because it is said by someone in authority and nobody has offered science-based evidence to challenge it.
Doesn't this sound very familiar to what is happening to many of the comments and/or pronouncements on Covid 19 in Malaysia?
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PS: This blog is for me to better understand COVID 19 as this will impact my investments. If you are also into equities, follow me at i4value.asia.
Disclaimer: I am not an epidemiologist, healthcare worker, pharmacist, or staff in the Ministry of Health, but rather is someone with a strong interest in numerical analysis. The content is an attempt to understand what is happening in the battle against COVID 19 from a data-based perspective. The opinions expressed here are based on information extracted from readily available public sources but I do not warrant its completeness or accuracy and should not be relied on as such.
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