Daily Times

Media must lead the war against disinformation on coronavirus and play a responsible role in spreading awareness against the pandemic. People may die of depression and stress instead of coronavirus if they watch news channels continuously because these days all the news channels have been focusing on the death toll and affectees of coronavirus, says famous film star Reema Khan while talking to the scribe. “Sometime no news is good news, it is a high time that media should instill hope among the people instead of disappointment and fear”, said Reema. She directed the social media users not to upload any content that include dead bodies and burial of people affected by coronavirus. She said that people must be educated through traditional and social media instead of creating panic. Reema Khan with her husband has recently launched an awareness campaign against coronavirus on social media with the name of “RT Care”. The Facebook page of RT Care include awareness videos and related content. “We came to Pakistan especially to launch this campaign in Pakistan, the aim of this campaign is to inform people about risks, preventions and treatment options available”, said Reema Khan. Reema’s husband Dr. Tariq Shahab while talking to the scribe said that the pandemic is different than another calamity or tragedy witnessed by Pakistan in the past. The country has earlier witnessed earth quakes and floods which were dealt differently. This time only awareness and right precautionary measures can save lives, he added. Talking about the disinformation, Dr. Tariq Shahab said that chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine medicines are very common for the patients of malaria but not the cure of coronavirus as they biggest side effects on heart and kidney. Similarly Azithromycin and chloroquine were administered to the patients in China after which they condition deteriorated and they were admitted to ICU, he told. Even in America and World Health Organization have clarified that these medicines are not the cure of corona virus. After the statement of president Trump to use these medicines, 3 patients in Nigeria and 2 in Arizona died because of taking these medicines, he added. There is another myth that it can be cured by taking tea, this is also denied by CDC and WHO. Dr. Tariq Shahab told that 80 percent of the patients with mild symptoms can be cured only by keeping themselves in Quarantine at home, less than 14 percent patients with severe symptoms needs to be admitted in hospital. Reema Khan said that the biggest need of the time is to spread correct awareness as no medicine has yet been declared the cure of coronavirus. She said that the situation in Pakistan is still not that worst as in Italy and Spain. By educating people on social distancing and cleaning, we can win this war against coronavirus.