Infodemic: German coronavirus denialists hit the road and an uncharacteristic apology from Kim Jong-un
Welcome. We are tracking how disinformation is shaping the world during the Covid-19 pandemic. Today, it’s Coda reporter Katia Patin with the latest narratives — both real and fake — that have grabbed our attention and deserve yours.
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Today, the so-called Great Corona Info Tour begins in Germany. Riding a recent wave of protests, two Covid-19 denialists are hitting the road in a luxury bus to promote their views. Samuel Eckert, a former Seventh-Day Adventist preacher, and Bodo Schiffmann, a doctor specializing in the treatment of vertigo, are both prominent leaders of Querdenken, the country’s anti-quarantine movement. The coach is equipped with a recording studio, from which Eckert has already started broadcasting.
Steam is the latest fake Covid-19 cure doing the rounds on Indian social media. One video circulating on Twitter showed a reported “steam bar” in the city of Pune, where patrons were inhaling vapor from a row of thin metal nozzles hooked up to a kitchen pot on a burner. Another viral video showed a man sucking up steam in his kitchen, using a homemade contraption consisting of a pressure cooker connected by a pipe. A woman narrates, telling viewers about the alleged benefits of doing so. Steam does not treat or prevent the coronavirus.
In Argentina, regional authorities are prescribing a variety of unproven treatments for the coronavirus. They include the antiparasitic drug ivermectin, plasma from recovered individuals and inhaled ibuprofen. The nation’s Society of Infectology has issued a warning that, while some initial laboratory analyses may be promising, none of these supposed remedies have been tested on humans. Promoting them “deceives patients and the whole of society,” said one of the top advisors to the Argentinian Ministry of Health. Last month, we reported on how some doctors in Brazil are experimenting with ivermectin, against the advice of scientists.