Daily Times

Moribund with thirst, having water but poisoned; death is unequivocal either by drinking poisoned water or by dehydration! An alike predicament is being perceived by habitants of under developed countries like Pakistan due to erroneous and illogical reasoning. The Thanatophobia of deadly and contagious Corona Virus has been figuratively controlled or may be deferred by efforts of Health authorities abed by state. The Primary & secondary health care departments propelling approved vaccination for dispensing utterly at gratis to circumvent fourth wave of pandemic conversely substantial fraction of the populace is in the paradox of choice while considering COVID Vaccination as a false dilemma.

Despite of multidimensional progression; still superstitious beliefs triumph in our society, e.g. the black cat is reckoned to be a symbol of misfortune and sending SMS to a certain number of people as a swear to lucky strike. Likewise myriad logical fallacies reign as the harvest of our irrational reasoning. Since first occurrence of Corona, we heed about diverse folklore at every stage of pandemic. Some fables are hilarious but regrettably the majority is melancholic in nature and causing Thantophobia among public. It is imperative to cognize the fallacies we put in our reasoning during first three waves of COVID and lesson be learnt for combating against fourth wave and other future epidemics. The fallacies are concerning with religion, climate & culture, Nature, danger & cure of COVID, workplace SOPs, role of Govt. & opposition and finally the vaccination of COVID. The details are as below:

Fallacies concerning Religion:

People seemed to have various myths about COVID concerning Religion e.g. many people asserted that COVID is God’s curse on disbelievers; they asserted at the moment when their selves were not infected; this error in reasoning was due to Religio-centrism, which is a psychological attitude; relied on conviction that one’s religion is superior to others’ religion, this error is known as fallacy of supremacism. In parallel, preceding COVID the occupied Kashmir by India was utterly lockdown even inhabitants strewed to death, so! many people deduced COVID as an act of supernatural power for chastising world for not succoring Kashmiries; instead of logical thinking about origination of virus they inferred from credulity and referred it to super natural act, the error is known as Devine fallacy. Conversely many whispered it to be a laboratory originated virus on supplication of common belief and consensus of the majority, Fallacy is known as Ad populum (bandwagon).

In some instances the people took true provisional proclamations but inferred conversely invalid, e.g. they avow COVID first reported in Wuhan, a city where people ingest pork and bats soup; therefore they inferred that all infected people ingest forbidden foods; this was due to fallacy of affirming the consent. At inception the cases emerged in non-Muslim countries so in scurry people also deduced from few instance that COVID will infect only non-Muslims countries; the error was due to fallacy of Hasty Generalization.

Fallacies concerning Culture & Climate:

People also averred several fables about COVID apropos culture and climate. Some people surmised that the outbreak will negligible in countries with hot climates because of being severe in countries of cold climate whereas the outburst happened nearly in akin fashion; the prediction came false because the inferences were drawn on single cause; error is known as fallacy of Causal reductionism. Conversely it was anticipated that India has high mortality rate so Pakistan will have identical statistics; for having common attributes like climate, dietary pattern, resembling of few cultural & social features; but in reality the figures poled apart; in fact the arguers were over emphasizing on similarities and neglecting heterogeneity knowing as fallacy of Texas sharpshooter.

Fallacies concerning nature of Corona:

People also professed numerous parables about COVID relating to the nature of Corona Virus. A number of people seemed awfully terrified by considering Corona as fatal and contagious virus; anticipating swift multiplication from an infected individual to his family; to social circle; to country; to whole world and ending up with the conclusion that all human will die; the error is known as fallacy of slippery slope conversely a lot of people took it indulgent by drawing flawed comparison considering COVID and Typhoid equivalent, based on analogous symptoms, the fallacy is known as False comparison. Some surmised it as an ordinary Flu because their family physician has told them, so they referred their credence persistently to a fussy authority; known as fallacy of ad verecundium (appeal to authority). Some inferred off beam conclusions e.g. Anosmia (loss of smell) is a COVID symbol, COVID is a deadly virus, so they concluded Anosmia and all other corona associated symptoms are also deadly; the fallacy is known as Argumentum ad logicam.

Fallacies concerning fatality due to COVID:

Some myth were weird and story bound e.g. few people purported that COVID Pandemic is a biological attack to destroy economy of superpowers, or virus is originated in laboratory for reducing the unproductive (old aged) population of world or as a devilish plan for trafficking of human organs. The arguers warned people that disclosure about being COVID positive may lead to forceful quarantine and hospitalization, where they will be killed and even the dead bodies will not be returned to the aggrieved families such premeditated opinions must have been treated as criminal offence for creating pandemonium and Thanatophobia, and regrettably many people started believing in such factious and non testable arguments the error in reasoning is known as fallacy of ad conditionalis.

On other side many people didn’t disclosed about being Corona positive due to autophobia of quarantine and self-formed Thanatophobia e.g. “Aw! I will die in few days; as media is telling COVID is a deadly virus; and many people has already been died; I am also tested positive hence I am near to death”, this error was because of Concluding without taking further information and evidence; in reality the morality rate of COVID remained about 3.4% which is less than mortality rate of accidental and criminal cases, the fallacy is known as Jumping to the conclusion. Likewise he concluded that the person died only because of COVID, whereas the late was patient of chronic diseases; the fallacy is Causal reductionism (Single Cause). He further concluded that the person died due to COVID so he will also die for being COVID, this is fallacy of Post hoc ergo propter hoc (post hoc) i.e. since event A followed by B, so if event A it is caused by B. Further it was assumed that COVID causes death therefore all death during pandemics are due to COVID, the fallacy is known as Reverse Causation i.e. Cause is said to the effect and vice versa.

Fallacies concerning COVID remedies:

Folks also seemed purporting sundry remedies for curing COVID. Most of these remedies, nostrum and therapies were hilarious, for instance; folks perceived that Corona virus is more prone to enter in human body through ear, nose and mouth; so they suggested that all COVID patients shall consult ENT Specialist; because of, either considering some conditions extra critical than generalized one; error is known as conjunction fallacy or may be due to nescience about virus’ targeted human organ; known as fallacy of ignorance. Being dubious assertions the few patients consulted both the ENT and pulmonologist; however the first recommended them intake of 500 mg dose of a drug whereas the other recommended 1000 mg dose of same drug; so ridiculously the patient took the dose of 750 mg for moderation known as Fallacy of Golden mean; whereas the truth has been compromised between two incongruent positions.

Similarly Drug-A was found effective for symptomatic relief of Corona so folks assumed it to be a perfect medicine to cure COVID as a whole; the error is known as fallacy of Composition where by bearing something true for entire, for being true for its fraction. In some instances; people tried wrong application of true remedies e.g. Drug-A was found effective for symptomatic relief; and steam was also found affective nostrum so the folks started taking steam of water diluted with Drug-A; the fallacy is known as Affirming the consequent (converse error). Some resisted on their remedial beliefs e.g. my COVID test is negative because I ate Desi Ghee; desi ghee is a dietary regime of our fore-generations; so Desi ghee …..Blah, Blah, Blah; in short they made argument from repetition, this is known as fallacy of ad Nauseam / ad infinitum.

Likewise various un tested remedies including but not limited to: drinking tea of Cassia angustifolia (sanamaki), inhaling steam of leaf of azadirachta indica (naeem); drinking alcohol, eating raw garlic, rinsing nose with saline solution, inhaling hand blower air or rubbing bleach on body to kill corona germs etc. have been remained in practice by general public this error is known as fallacy of you-tubian (social-media); where people failed to differentiate b/w suggesting and proving.

Fallacies concerning the Workplace:

The organizations forcefully ensured preventive measure however some organization stresses only on one aspect e.g. pressed hard on wearing of mask only while did not cared about social distancing, avoid public dealing etc. they made realize their employees that wearing masks as the only preventive measure against COVID this fallacy is known as Argumentum ad baculum (appeal to stick). On employee part they showed resistance by saying that why should they wear masks, where the employer/state has not provided them free of cost; the strategy of dealing inconsistently with other to avoid taking his position seriously is known as the fallacy of Tu Quoque (hypocrisy).

Some workers based on their surveillance considered COVID not serious; by asserting that since their house maid had been tested negative for COVID despite she worked in many houses therefore they concluded Corona as non-contagious; the fallacy is known as Anecdotal Fallacy (person who fallacy) likewise some asserted that in the first two waves of COVID they were not infected therefore in third wave they will surely not affected or on the other hand Some people were afraid by perceiving  since all their office colleagues got positive therefore they will also be tested positive; their perception is based on possibly therefore probably known as fallacy of appeal to probability. Some people remain to stick b/w positive or negative not in transition e.g. some employees were got tested negative for COVID on a certain date hence they were assumed to be not suspected for forthcoming 14 days; whereas there may exits a continuum of states of two conditions considered distinct; the error is known as fallacy of Sorites paradox / Continuum.

Fallacies concerning Govt. & oppositions:

Here intent is not to disparage Govt. or opposition, in fact to point out the fallacies in reasoning.  At instances various members of Govt. and opposition parties seemed to be erroneous in their reasoning; e.g. Govt. planned for smart lockdown to avoid economic hardship of financially lower-class; whereas the opponents criticized that government intends to create corporeal situation, or “doing politics over dead bodies” this fallacy is known as the fallacy of Strawman / Aunt sally (Pub Game) i.e. refuting an argument instead replacing with false one. while even in talk show the anchors asked opposition to offer better solution if they had objection over state COVID control strategy; so instead of suggesting the opponents started raising questions about certain non related issues e.g. about Govt. inter party conflicts, private business of some members, protocols etc, that is to distract or mislead from important question, this fallacy is known as red herring. Similarly opposition argued that the COVID rise is due to negligence of Mr. x, y and Z of the member of Govt. without having solid arguments they attacked on people not the argument; the fallacy is known as Ad hominem. Often opposition asserted that they have received various complaints about poor COVID control strategy of Govt. via different means (un-trustable); whereas their information was unqualified, unidentified or biased/fabricated source; this fallacy is known as false attribution.

On the other hand the Govt. took the credit of sharp decline whereas the fall was due to natural fluctuations while Govt. assumed and portrayed it as result of some corrective action, this is known as fallacy of Regression. The govt. also appeared spotlighting the state of art medical facilities at few hospitals contrary the opposition seemed to point out lack of facilities at few other hospitals; this error is known as the fallacy of cherry picking i.e. Choosing certain cases to confirm a position while ignoring cases in that may contradict.

Fallacies concerning Vaccination:

Government is endeavoring vaccination of all inhabitants to circumvent fourth wave of pandemic whereas on the flip side the inhabitant are not interested in getting vaccination even at free of cost due to deceptive myths. For instance, some asserted that Luc Montagnier, French Virologist said that vaccinated people will die within two years of vaccination while upon confirmation from him the news revealed as fabricated; this act of mendacity is false allegation however in philosophy of reasoning is known as fallacy of ad verecundium (false authority). Conversely some argued that Govt. is vaccinating under mafias pressure while other assert COVID vaccination is absurd (having no affect neither positive nor negative); in both cases they lacked compelling arguments; this fallacy is known as argumentum ad lapidem (Appeal to stone). Some people still belief in traditions rather scientific advancement; they assert their ancestors have been survived without vaccinations against miscellaneous diseases; so why they should take vaccination? This attitude of appeal to tradition, common belief and antiquity is known as fallacy of argumentum ad antiquitam. Some others are waiting for more advanced vaccine because they consider existing unreliable; this attitude of comparing existing with idealized alternatives falls under nirvana fallacy (Perfect solution Fallacy). Many of the unvaccinated people are still in the paradox of choice they anticipate that every person who take vaccine will die as a side effect of vaccine and the person who don’t get vaccine will also die due to COVID; this in known as fallacy of false dilemma occurred usually due to Involve falsely limited alternatives; without correct one.

Conclusion:

The COVID Pandemic has dreadfully affected not only health and psychosomatic verily all spheres of life concerning economic, social, legal and even the religious practices but the efforts of WHO, donors, State and medical practitioners are tremendous for effective control of pandemic. In history several plague like malaria, tuberculoses, leprosy, small pox, influenza etc. had been catastrophe, and many of them even finished off whole civilizations. The human race has revived on earth through learning the science of organisms and the art of coping with the pandemics, whereas we despite of all advancement faced Thanatophobia during COVID pandemic just because of superstitious beliefs and illogical reasoning. By learning lesson from COVID pandemic the state authorities in addition to COVID control strategy shall focus on educating inhabitant about improving reasoning ability and shall exercise strict control over social media and related platforms which create anarchy and pandemonium. At micro level we all individuals shall focus on improving logical reasoning; paying attention to critical thinking; wining the moral and ethical dilemma, be socially responsible and must have trust in state authorities. So that we collectively can fight against COVID fourth wave as well as against other future epidemics.

( The writer is PhD scholar he can be reached at muhammadarifzia@gmail.com)