Fact Check: Debunking 3 pieces of Fake News that went viral amid the Covid outbreak

While India has been waging a battle against COVID-19, there is a parallel battle being fought against fake news. Here are pieces of fake news that the Press Information Bureau (‘PIB’) has had to dispel in recent days.

CLAIM: On 10 April, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor circulated a since-deleted article on the non-availability of Hydroxychloroquine in Maharashtra to say “While government touts its COVID19 diplomacy, stocks of hydroxychloroquine run dry in India”

FACT: On 10 April, PIB clarified that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare allocated 34 lakh tablets of Hydroxychloroquine to Maharashtra. It stated how this supply is more than the requirement.

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CLAIM: On 15 April, a certain national daily claimed that there was segregation on religious basis at a hospital in Gujarat.

FACT: PIB in Gujarat stepped in to put out a clarification on behalf of the Health Department of Gujarat. It stated that there was no such segregation and patients were being treated based on symptoms, severity, and doctor’s recommendations.

CLAIM: A national newspaper published an article almost warning that “If you are forced to use the Aarogya app, take all your personal data of your smartphone and do a factory reset before installing it”

FACT: PIB on 6 April clarified, “The app does not link user location & data with any sensitive personal data. Also, it does not make users vulnerable to hacking”

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