Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
AS NEWS ABOUT the coronavirus Covid-19 has continued to dominate public discussion, misinformation has been flooding social media.
As the virus continues to spread, so too do rumours about the outbreak – from which communities have become affected by it to how the outbreak is being managed by health authorities.
More recently, people have been seeing information circulating about how to protect themselves from coronavirus.
One image that has circulated on social media in recent days is a message that appears to offer “useful info” from the Stanford Hospital Board and Japanese doctors treating Covid-19.
While medical professionals are offering plenty of advice on trying to reduce the spread of Covid-19, such as regular hand-washing, this particular advice is FALSE.
Let’s take a look at the misinformation in more detail.
The advice
The claim is being circulated on Whatsapp and on Facebook. On Whatsapp, it has been described as being “from a friend whos [sic] brother is at the Stanford hospital board”.
The advice is said to be from Japanese doctors treating the coronavirus Covid-19.
It tells people that they should take a few sips of water every 15 minutes, because “even if the virus gets into your mouth, drinking water and other liquids will wash them down through your throat and into the stomach”. There, the advice states, stomach acid will kill the virus.
It has been widely shared on Facebook. One post, shown below, was shared nearly 200,000 times from an Irish Facebook page.
Why it’s fake
Firstly, the message did not come from Stanford. A spokesperson for the Stanford School of Medicine in California confirmed to TheJournal.ie that the information did not originate with them.
The advice is also not medically sound. Dr Kim Roberts, an expert in virology in Trinity College Dublin, told TheJournal.ie that the advice is not accurate.
“You’re not going to wash the virus down into your stomach by drinking water,” she said.
“Staying hydrated is a good idea because that helps keep respiratory mucus at the effective thickness so that any virus caught in the respiratory mucus is moved away by the normal mechanisms our bodies have to protect us from infection,” she said.
But there is no evidence to support the idea that drinking water every 15 minutes will help protect you from coronavirus, according to Roberts.
The claim has been widely debunked elsewhere too. The World Health Organisation tweeted last month that “while staying hydrated by drinking water is important for overall health, it does not prevent coronavirus infection”.
World Health Organization Philippines / Twitter
World Health Organization Philippines / Twitter / Twitter
The BBC Reality Check team also de-bunked the claim. Writing that a version of the same claim in Arabic has been shared over 250,000 times, the BBC quoted an Oxford University professor who said that there is “no biological mechanism” to support the claim.
While coronavirus is a respiratory illness with symptoms such as fever, dry cough and shortness of breath, drinking water won’t be enough to prevent you from catching Covid-19.
The best thing you can do is to regularly wash your hands and to reduce touching your face.
There is a lot of false news and scaremongering being spread in Ireland at the moment about coronavirus. Here are some practical ways for you to assess whether the messages that you’re seeing – especially on WhatsApp – are true or not.
STOP, THINK AND CHECK
Look at where it’s coming from. Is it someone you know? Do they have a source for the information (e.g. the HSE website) or are they just saying that the information comes from someone they know? A lot of the false news being spread right now is from people claiming that messages from ‘a friend’ of theirs. Have a look yourself – do a quick Google search and see if the information is being reported elsewhere.
Secondly, get the whole story, not just a headline. A lot of these messages have got vague information (“all the doctors at this hospital are panicking”) and don’t mention specific details. This is often – but not always – a sign that it may not be accurate.
Finally, see how you feel after reading it. A lot of these false messages are designed to make people feel panicked. They’re deliberately manipulating your feelings to make you more likely to share it. If you feel panicked after reading something, check it out and see if it really is true.
With reporting from Aoife Barry
Have you gotten a message on WhatsApp or Facebook or Twitter about coronavirus that you’re not sure about and want us to check it out? Message or mail us and we’ll look into debunking it.
WhatsApp: 085 221 4696 Email: answers@thejournal.ie
TheJournal.ie’s FactCheck is a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network’s Code of Principles. You can read it here. For information on how FactCheck works, what the verdicts mean, and how you can take part, check out our Reader’s Guide here. You can read about the team of editors and reporters who work on the factchecks here
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
I practice it daily and im reaping the benefits. I would definately recommend it to anyone. You become alot more productive and relaxed I am anyway when I used to be a anxious wreck.
I was recommended mindfulness for Tinnitus.
Sometimes I sit and think, other times I just sit.
It’s simply Buddhism which is a great philosophy – the theology is another matter.
I thought there was no theology in Buddhism because they don’t worship any gods?
There are many gods and demons in Buddhism.
Are you sure you’re not thinking about Hinduism?
Sorry to go on but do a bit of research.
I did and the good old Internet told me that Buddhism is nontheistic, which is exactly what I learned in school. The idea of gods goes against what Buddhism is all about. I know they sort of semi-worship the original Buddha and others who’ve achieved enlightenment, but that’s not the same as having gods? I’m not trying to be difficult I’m genuinely curious.
You’re right but there are levels in Tibetan Buddhism for example (pre enlghtenment states) where you dwell at certain levels, i.e. godlike states of different hierarchies etc.
According to ctrl+f the word ‘mindfulness’ appears 42 times on this page and I can safely say that is largely why I had to stop reading after two paragraphs.
Mindfulness
It seems that your mindfulness of the word mindfulness is strong. It’s interesting that the find function can assist with mindfulness as if it were also a mindfulness practitioner. Mindfulness can be irritating I guess. May the mindfulness be with you.
43 times after your post..
I prefer a pint a Guinness meself.
Nothing can possibly ever go wrong with this approach. Get as many as you can into you Eugene.
My sentiments entirely Winston
It gives a mind emptying quality which is more preferable to me:)
How to drink Guinness mindfully: Pour the Guinness , look how it clears from the top down. Look into the creamy head and wonder. Feel the first gulp as it slips down your throat. Put it back on the table and see how the head clings to the side of the glass. Finish the pint slowly. Notice the effects on your mind and other senses. Maybe have another.
Ah now you’re talking!
All to be done with a window seat in a quiet pub and maybe, just maybe with
a pack of Kings,maybe!
Pains of the past and worries of the future do not exist in the present. Regular practise can transform your life, I’d recommend Jon Kabat Zinn’s book “Full Catastrophe Living” if you wish to learn more about it, although you do not need to read any books to learn the simple exercises. There’s a ton of guided meditations on YouTube, look for “Mindfulness of Breathing” or “Bodyscan Meditation” and you’ll find two simple, yet very effective exercises, try them out, you’ll be surprised at how easily distracted your mind is to begin with, but you’ll become much better at it the more you practise. Formal sittings are great, but you can also practise it informally throughout the day, walking down the street, eating your dinner, at your desk in work (especially effective after a stressful call or meeting). Keep in mind that you’re not actually trying to achieve anything during the practise, you’re simply training your mind in a similar way that you would go to the gym to train your body, but over time you’ll notice the many positive knock on effects that it has on your life.
A friend said i practice it as i was all over the place, best advice i was ever given i feel so different now. There is a book Mindfulness for Dummies its my Bible
Sounds like a load of metaphysical nonsense for the weak minded, on par with homeopathy and astrology.
Homeopathy practices will start to struggle with the onset of the water charges .
Dunno about that Phil. There is evidence for the efficacy of mindfulness and nada for homeopathy. Surely there is nothing particularly extraordinary about suggesting that meditation – the practice of disciplining and exercising the mind for improved focus – can improve focus and mental agility?
That is what it sounds like but it works. Even done badly, like I do it, it has benefits. And it costs nothing so why not give it a try. Then use your own good judgement to decide if it’s nonsense or not. Thoughts come to our minds unbidden. We can obsess over them or worry about them but it’s a good idea to sometimes just observe the process. See them for what they are. Which is nothing really. It was a revelation to me that just because a thought comes to my mind does not mean I have an obligation to entertain it. Of course, as the old joke goes, if the thought is entertaining me that’s a different matter.
It’s not even close to homeopathy or astrology! Plenty of psychological studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of mindfulness, and it has been incorporated into existing types of therapy for this reason. It has a bit of a hippyish name which makes it sound like nonsense though.
This… it really does make you happier to just Iive in the moment as much as possible and just be in the moment and be able to focus. it does need pratice though, you cant think your way into it… thinking as such is the problem.
If you believe it, it’ll work.
But for the anxious people out there, 30 mins meditation to get away from the anxious thoughts feels amazing and can lead to recovery.. Spoken from experience..
Nope. It actually works and it’s free.
Psychologists use it now ,too .. I should know .
Sounds like you didn’t quite read the article. There’s plenty of research that shows the benefits of mindfulness and meditation on the body and mind, but you’ll struggle to find any research that supports homeopathy or astrology.
Philip Hogan you have an obsession with weak mindedness . Perhaps it’s a symptom of weak mindedness to have such an obsession who knows. lol
Aye Catherine I agree; Nietzsche was obsessed with strong-minded and weak-minded people, “supermensch” and the “will to power” and all that. Then what happened him? Show compassion and don’t be condescending to people.
@ Phillip Hogan , what about climastrology ? Lots of oddballs get off on that. Even Enda has started to follow GuruGore.
1 – Mindfulness is in no way money related, you can learn about it for free. I borrowed a book from the library, listened to some talks from mindfulness teachers on YouTube and read about it online. It does not require a course or money changing hands to start practising. Some people charge for the courses they teach, there’s nothing wrong with that and paying money for something doesn’t automatically make it bad.
2 – Its based on Buddhist techniques, but it doesn’t require that you become Buddhist to practice it. Nor does practising it mean that you become Buddhist, the same way that using prayer doesn’t make you a Christian. It isn’t a belief system, there are no deities involved. It is quite simply a tool that can be used in any faith system.
3 – Media that reports on certain things that you don’t care for shouldn’t automatically be ignored. Use your common sense and ignore the things that you don’t agree with and keep an open mind about everything else.
4 – No person should blindly embrace anything. Use your head, do some research, make sure you have all the facts before you make up your mind. Hiding behind your faith to denounce everything new that comes along lacks intelligence.
5 – Meditation will not lead one to “spirits”, “demons” or other similar concepts, and it makes no claim to do these things. Again, it’s not connected to any faith or deity. Any person, with a faith or otherwise, should be wary of something that claims to have spirits or demons involved. Again, use your common sense.
6 – there is no crossover from physical to spiritual involved. Meditation isn’t a spiritual act, it can be but at it’s core it is not spiritual, it’s simply being aware of your own thoughts and presence.
7 – mindfulness does not tell you that you are the solution to your problems. It simply gives you a tool to help you cope with your problems.
Spreading misinformation, the the guise of any belief system, is deplorable. Make sure you know what you’re talking about before offering opinions that have the potential to turn people away from tools that may genuinely help them.
Paddy I don’t really think mindfulness/meditation is a fad….fads don’t tend to last all that long and as far as I know mindfulness/meditation has been around for a pretty long time. I hope you don’t take that as me being sarcastic because I really don’t want to come across like that but I really don’t think it’s a fad just people are becoming more aware of it maybe??
My dad meditates every day and practices mindfulness between tasks. I try to pause and practise between each task but sometimes admittedly I don’t always give it that extra beat it needs. Wish I did though!
So, watching sports would be a good way to start then?
I was made to do mindfulness. Workshop. While suffering from depression. It did nothing. pointless. Sitting there and talking about the now and what today means.
I’m sad to hear you didn’t find it of any use. Mindfulness isn’t supposed to “do” anything, it simply gives you tools to help yourself. It has to be put into practice to be useful.
@Shannon Mc, it did not work simply because you were MADE do it , its like any other form of counselling psychotherapy, if you are MADE do it , you are wasting your time and that of the therapist., the success of any therapy depends entirely upon the full willingness of the client to become fully involved in the process of finding a solution to their issues.
https://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&site=webhp&tbm=isch&source=hp&ei=ugkkVJu4F4qS7AaH54GgCg&q=mindful+mindfulness&oq=mindful+mindfulness&gs_l=mobile-gws-hp.1.0.0i24.7441.18598.0.19839.23.22.1.8.8.0.558.4101.3j12j2j2j1j1.21.0….0…1c.1.54.mobile-gws-hp..2.21.2688.0.JSnKY1mkWJw#facrc=_&imgrc=Edwh3H_1pf_rCM%253A%3BgcASaRUe-uZ9UM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.enthusiasticbuddhist.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2013%252F09%252Fmind-full.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.enthusiasticbuddhist.com%252Fmindful-eating-taste-mindfulness%252F%3B540%3B360
In what way does this advert qualify as “opinion “?
Hipsters.
To me mindfulness is just new-ageism version 1.2.
It is really a form of religion, where one self is the solution to ones own worries. As a catholic I would caution blind acceptance of such cults. The fact that it gains such promotion in modern media, should be enough red flagging for anyone to be on their guard. Buyer beware.
“As a catholic I would caution blind acceptance of such cults”
Christ on a bike do I love irony!
What’s wrong with being a part of the solution to your own worries? What part of Catholicism says that trying to help yourself is a bad thing? And what part of the church’s teachings tells you that anything promoted by modern media should be red flagged? None of what you’re saying makes sense, you seem to have invented your own idea of what Catholicism is.
Mindfulness is not a religion, it doesn’t involve a set of beliefs that you must follow. All it does is offer you ways to reduce stress and increase focus, by spending time being in the present moment and learning to meditate. It’s also not telling you that you are the solution to your own worries, it simply gives you a way of managing them.
There is plenty of research behind it that separates it from New Age type beliefs. Then again, I’m not sure that’s the kind of thing you’d pay attention to.
John Everyman, your reply to scullier has cracked me up and dynamited me out of my blissful mindfulness; now ill have to join some cult to do my thinking for me!
@ Daphne
Well Daphne, you extrapolate a lot from the little I said.
There are some issues to note:
1) This is money related, in most/all instances. You pay to do training, or companies pay for persons to give talks.
2)The methods used are based on, or similar to, Buddhists techniques.
As for your other comments, when did I suggest anyone should not be part of the solution to their own problems? Where did I say “that trying to help yourself is a bad thing”? Isn’t prayer for ones difficulties doing just that. Experience teaches me that media, fixated on everything anti-Christian, abortion, euthanasia, redefinition of marriage etc., are unsound and unreliable. So when “mindfulness”, or is that “mindlessness”, is their new panacea, then watch out.
When meditation is central to any fad, its worth been cautious. Meditation is of course central to many faith systems including Christianity, and a good rule for Christians meditating is be sure it is Christ centred. Meditation could lead you to other spirits otherwise.
Put in stark Christian terms, to believe ones self is the solution to ones problems, is to believe you don’t need god. Mind tricks maketh not a god of you. I just advise caution, as this fad has all the hallmarks of new ageism.
@Paddy , what sort of absolute rubbish are you comming out with.
@Paddy , please define “meditation”, or just give a simple interpretation of it as you see it yourself.
@ RJ.Fallon
RJ the core of what I’ve said, and repeated several times, is that caution is required. It is certainly not clear if mindfulness extends into the transcendent in some or in all cases. Do you suggest that such a new fad should be blindly embraced, without the exercise of caution?
Meditation is difficult to define, as it means different things in different faiths. It spams from just being quite, to using a mantra (either a prayer or spirit), to an internal contemplation of Christ. Many of the physical techniques used are certainly healthy, but having a human guide about whom we know little, could lead us into the other faiths or experience of demons; is in my view reckless. It is the crossover from just physical to spiritual is the potential trap.
1 – Mindfulness is in no way money related, you can learn about it for free. I borrowed a book from the library, listened to some talks from mindfulness teachers on YouTube and read about it online. It does not require a course or money changing hands to start practising. Some people charge for the courses they teach, there’s nothing wrong with that and paying money for something doesn’t automatically make it bad.
2 – Its based on Buddhist techniques, but it doesn’t require that you become Buddhist to practice it. Nor does practising it mean that you become Buddhist, the same way that using prayer doesn’t make you a Christian. It isn’t a belief system, there are no deities involved. It is quite simply a tool that can be used in any faith system.
3 – Media that reports on certain things that you don’t care for shouldn’t automatically be ignored. Use your common sense and ignore the things that you don’t agree with and keep an open mind about everything else.
4 – No person should blindly embrace anything. Use your head, do some research, make sure you have all the facts before you make up your mind. Hiding behind your faith to denounce everything new that comes along lacks intelligence.
5 – Meditation will not lead one to “spirits”, “demons” or other similar concepts, and it makes no claim to do these things. Again, it’s not connected to any faith or deity. Any person, with a faith or otherwise, should be wary of something that claims to have spirits or demons involved. Again, use your common sense.
6 – there is no crossover from physical to spiritual involved. Meditation isn’t a spiritual act, it can be but at it’s core it is not spiritual, it’s simply being aware of your own thoughts and presence.
7 – mindfulness does not tell you that you are the solution to your problems. It simply gives you a tool to help you cope with your problems.
Spreading misinformation, the the guise of any belief system, is deplorable. Make sure you know what you’re talking about before offering opinions that have the potential to turn people away from tools that may genuinely help them.
Buddhist meditation is based on compassion for the self and others. Surely that is in sync with Christian morality. But then morality and dogma don’t always match do they Paddy?
@Daphne , thanks for all that , I’m not going to bother with this fellow any more , lets just you and me agree on what you have said and leave it at that.
I also recommend mindfulness meditation. It is one of the most effective ways of managing stress and anxiety when practiced correctly.
have your say