Misinformation about coronavirus spreading like wildfire

AS the first case of novel coronavirus was confirmed in Queensland yesterday and Bunnings stores started to sell out of surgical masks, one TV station had the programming genius on Wednesday night to screen Contagion, the story of another deadly novel virus that threatened to wipe out humanity.

Qld Health has called for calm and vigilance following confirmation a Chinese national has tested positive to the virus on the Gold Coast.

Confirmed cases of coronavirus around the world.

Sadly, once again social media sharing is playing a big part in spreading misinformation and panic.

Some people have suggested the coronavirus was planned to control the population, others have said that it is a bioweapons attack, one idea was that it was due to the Chinese bat soup and others have blamed scientists for deliberately developing it.

Hospital directors and provincial public health officials gather to participate in a medical preparedness meeting to face the threat of new coronavirus outbreak in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. The death toll rose to 170 in the new virus outbreak in China on Thursday as foreign evacuees from the worst-hit region begin returning home under close observation and world health officials

There are also some claims that the actual number of people infected in China is more like 90,000 and the Chinese Government is covering up the truth.

VIRAL OUTBREAK: The spread of coronavirus.

It is Qld's first case and will no doubt not be its last, but our health authorities have reponded effectively to past emergencies such as swine flu, bird flu, SARS, MERS and Ebola, and I have no doubt whatsoever they will deal just as effectively with this.