Ask a doctor - Is the coronavirus (COVID-19) a hoax?

Q. Is the coronavirus (COVID-19) a hoax?

Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.

Answered by Secondmedic Expert

No, the coronavirus (COVID-19) is certainly not a hoax. The virus is real and its effects have been felt across the entire globe in one form or another. It originated in Wuhan, China December 2019 and as of mid-August 2020 it has infected over 20 million people globally and caused nearly 750,000 deaths worldwide according to World Health Organization data.

The transmission of the virus has been studied since its inception with new information continuing to be published which furthers our understanding of how it behaves, spreads and infects humans. Scientists around the world are racing to find treatments for those who contract COVID-19 as well as methods for preventing transmission including prospective vaccines for future protection from the virus.

Due to its novelty and scope, there have been a number of misconceptions surrounding the coronavirus such as 5G masts causing infections; this narrative was quite popular until it was widely disproven by multiple studies that found no link between radiation emitted by cell phone towers or 5G technology with reported cases of infection. Other false information being circulated includes claims that face masks are useless against protecting against COVID-19 despite evidence proving otherwise: Wearing a mask helps reduce community spread when combined with other prevention methods such as social distancing and frequent handwashing with soap or alcohol solution.

Given all this factual evidence surrounding SARS-CoV2 -the actual name given to what we colloquially refer to as “the coronavirus”-, any idea that it is anything other than real should be quickly dispelled lest we become complacent about preventive measures needed now more than ever during these unprecedented times.