"What has not been examined impartially, has not been well examined. Skepticism is therefore the first step towards truth."
A very sensitive topic is that of which hand sanitizer to use and, given the demand, where to find the right one. The matter is not to be belittled as 8 brands of uncertified sanitizers have been seized in Nairobi and Nakuru.
You can find the list of approved locally manufactured brands in the site of the Kenyan Bureau of Standards (KEBS). In big supermarkets they bring out the stock little by little and ask clients not to take more than two pieces per person. I better don't give ideas on how to cheat the rule. At least they are trying to supply as many people as possible. Making your own hand sanitizer may seem simple, but achieving the required minimum concentration of disinfectant is not. As I said earlier, whenever the choice of water and soap is available, use it. Soap and water are more effective against germs in general. It is not a cheap alternative. It is the best choice!
Who is using my lastname in vain!!!
When the government of Kenya announced the restrictions due to COVID-19, they were also quick to state that those trying to make money out of this crisis in unlawful ways would end up in jail. It is painful to see that they were not exaggerating when they felt the need to do so.
On March 19th the Cabinet issued a warning against fake news on the coronavirus situation Kenya: those found culpable will be dealt with in accordance with established laws. WHO have called the current situation an infodemic. Tech sites try to explain the basics of why the coronavirus is the first true social-media “infodemic” and researchers publish that the spread of information on COVID-19 fits epidemics models (notice that is still pending of peer review). Following the European Commission Communication on tackling online disinformation, SOMA has been launched to provide support to a European community that will jointly fight disinformation.
There is information everywhere and it is difficult to screen through what is true and what is noise or malevolent manipulation. We all need to be responsible and minimize the spread of the unhelpful messages. This is no joke! It took me two days of messages back and forth to convince some relatives of the paranoic nonsense that a video about some conspiracy bs on the origin of the coronavirus was spreading. And I am not sure I convinced them. The video used names of corporations and fancy places, took real events otherwise justified out of context and linked them with no evidence of anything that the [insert insult] guy was saying. But it sunk! And it kept coming back through social media, so it got them even deeper!
People are scared and will believe what they hear if it sounds smart. What are they after with these messages? I have no idea. I give people the benefit of the doubt and give them that they do not know better instead of assuming that they have bad intentions. What are they actually achieving with these messages? People are over-reacting in panic and alarmist mode, inducing unnecessary stock outs. They generate skepticism against the need for the restrictive measures that governments are putting in place, reduce compliance and, therefore, increase the spread of the disease. They increase the sense of helplessness and reduce compliance with the simple but effective hygiene rules that can make a difference in this pandemic.
It is not easy, but we shall all try to do our bit. Make sure that you get your information from official sources and keep yourself abreast of the government's updates. Look for a second source when things sound funny. Do not spread unhelpful messages, even if they seem funny; someone may take them seriously and the damage will be done before you have time to say "I was joking". You can stay updated with the SOMA blog or the "Myth busters" section that WHO has set up.
PSA: How to protect yourself and others from Coronavirus
No comments:
Post a Comment