stop fake news and disinformation

Difficult to escape the media frenzy and the psychosis created by the Covid-19 epidemic. It carries its procession of false news and fanciful or catastrophic rumors. This new coronavirus, now called Sars-CoV2 – Covid-19 designating the disease it causes in humans – continues to feed the media and social networks. Let us discern the true from the false with Inserm to cut short the "fakenews" and find our way in this mass of information.

Regarding the Sars-COV2 and Covid-19 (the disease contracted in humans, to be distinguished from virus), disinformation takes many forms. From simple approximation in figures to conspiracy theory to unacknowledged revelations, many media relay "fake news". The subjects sensitive to disinformation, too, vary: dealing sometimes with the nature of the virus, sometimes with its vaccine.

How do you get this coronavirus?

There are many questions surrounding the nature of this coronavirus and what it means at the public health level. Is it safe to receive packages having passed through from or through China? Does the virus affect only the elderly? Are there certain foods that can protect against infection? Has the incubation period been increased?

Although there are still some gray areas around the Sars-CoV2, we know that objects (such as letters and boxes) do not allow the virus to survive for a sufficient period of time. Furthermore, geographic and ethnic origin has no effect on the ability of the virus to infect new people.

Contrary to what has been said in recent weeks, no food (garlic, fennel) or hygiene product (sprays, mouthwash) does not protect against Sars-CoV2. Finally, the period incubation estimate has not been extended to 24 days or more, and remains between 2 and 14 days. Research continues to clarify both unanswered questions and baseless statements.

No vaccine for the Covid-19 epidemic, nor for the fake news!

Regarding the vaccine to prevent contraction of the coronavirus Sars-CoV2, it does not yet exist. The various vaccines already existing to deal with cases of pneumonia are unfortunately ineffective. Teams around the world, including a team from Lyon Inserm, are mobilized to understand this new virus and seek to counter it as quickly as possible, even if it takes time.

Contrary to what we can read on more or less conspiratorial sites implying that the vaccine is already ready and that laboratories speculate on the lethality of theepidemic to raise the price, the development of a vaccine is still under study, which is why nothing is offered to healthy populations to protect themselves.

When conspiracy theories reappear around a coronavirus patent

Conspiracy theories are also in the spotlight. The Sars-CoV2 is said to have been manufactured in the P4 laboratory in Wuhan, patents have already been filed by pharmaceutical companies to take advantage of the sale of a vaccine which was also planned in advance but which would not be made accessible. that once reached the millions of deaths allowing its price to soar.

The patents unearthed online and supporting all these theories are however patents for the Chinese coronavirus of 2002 (Sras-CoV), which was logically subjected to the study thereafter to allow the development of a vaccine. Consult the "fake news" and other questions corrected by theWorld Health Organization.

A little vocabulary

On the language side, here are some definitions to find your way around in the expressions used by researchers and relayed by the media:

What is a preprint?

It is a publication written by researchers who have not yet taken the traditional paths of scientific publication (proofreading, corrections and validation by peers), sometimes very long. This allows the public to submit research work in line with current events, here the Sars-CoV2 epidemic. Found on the sites Bioχiv and Medχiv (read as follows: Bio Archive and Med Archive).

How do we define the cases reached by Covid 19?

The definition of suspected CoV-19 cases evolves over time and the spread of the epidemic. In addition, the criteria vary from country to country. In France, the criteria established by Public Health France were last reviewed on February 4, 2020: the area of ​​exposure to virus which could lead to suspicion has been extended to all China, the feverish criterion has been clarified and the exposure to theanimals of Wuhan withdrawn since the exhibition area has been enlarged.

Distinguish between possible and confirmed cases

Also according to Public Health France, two types of cases are to be distinguished: possible cases and confirmed cases. The first concerns people with clinical signs according to the different possibilities of exposure established by the health authorities (recent stay in China, close contact or proximity with a confirmed case, itinerary similar to that of a confirmed case …). The second, confirmed cases, are the possible cases in which the analysis of a sample confirms infection with Sars-CoV2.

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