Misleading coronavirus information falsely attributed to Johns Hopkins

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Social media posts attribute a list of points about the novel coronavirus to Johns Hopkins, a leading source of information on the virus. But the US university’s medical programme said it is not the source of the claims, and while some are accurate, experts say others contain false or misleading information.

According to an AFP report, the information suggests that the virus converts cells into aggressors and multipliers, decay of the virus depends on temperature and humidity and hot water helps counter the virus.

Johns Hopkins Medicine said it is not affiliated with the points circulating online, posting on its Facebook page that “rumors and misinformation like this can easily circulate in communities during a crisis.”

Medical personnel conduct drive-through testing for Covid-19 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. — AFP/File
Medical personnel conduct drive-through testing for Covid-19 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. — AFP/File

“The rumors that we have seen in greater volumes are those citing a Johns Hopkins immunologist and infectious disease expert. We do not know the origin of these rumors and they lack credibility,” it said.

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