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Published 10:20 IST, February 2nd 2020

Influencers under fire for using unrealistic coronavirus photos to garner fame

Controversial YouTuber Logan Paul reportedly started the trend on social media by posting a picture related to the 2019nCoV global outbreak to draw attention

Reported by: Zaini Majeed
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Social media influencers have been facing backlash for posting pictures with the unrealistic representations of the deadly Coronavirus in order to harvest followers and garner fame. Controversial YouTuber Logan Paul reportedly started the trend on social media by posting a picture related to the 2019nCoV global outbreak to draw attention. Logan Paul shared a photo of himself surrounded by a throng of models wearing gas masks flaunting his lifestyle with a controversial caption regarding Coronavirus.

Many newbies in the field joined the movement by posting photos that portrayed the deadly Coronavirus as quixotic and “fun”.The hashtag #coronavirus has been trending on Twitter that now boasts 199,000 unrealistic posts about the deadly Coronavirus in extravagant surroundings.

Fans called the photos insensitive

Followers rebuked the picture and called it insensitive. “I don't think this is so funny, people are dying”, wrote one user. “This isn’t funny at all. It’s spreading all over the world”, wrote another user aggravated at the post.

Another user wrote, “Logan Paul is the human definition of the coronavirus”, objecting to the picture he and his brother Jake Paul shared. Jake can be seen glamorizing coronavirus posing at the airport in a glittery mask.

Credit:Instagram/@pauldice91

Read | Africa: Government Ramps Up Preventive Measures Amid Coronavirus Dread

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Another influencer @pauldice91 reduced the disease to humour by sharing a photo on Instagram with a corona beer explaining his priorities like it was a choice he had to make. He posted a picture wearing a surgical mask, sunglasses, and latex gloves, sitting at a posh pub. Several users criticized the influencers for glamorizing the disease that has claimed more than 300 lives.

Read Coronavirus Death Toll Crosses 300 In China With 45 New Fatalities

Read Russia Imposes Various Restrictions On Chinese Citizens Over Deadly Coronavirus

Updated 10:20 IST, February 2nd 2020