Old video of Doctors spreading misinformation on COVID-19 doing rounds on social media again
New Delhi: In a video that is widely being circulated again across social media platforms, a group of doctors can be seen discussing how Corona Virus is only the flu and the need for isolation of patients and lockdown in countries was unnecessary.
The old video is once again doing the rounds on social media including WhatsApp and Facebook, in the wake of the spike in COVID cases in India and other countries that has triggered reports of COVID-imposed lockdowns and restrictions.
A fact-check on the video revealed the 3-minute video from a conference that was organized by conspiracy theorists against the Corona Virus by a European group called World Doctors Alliance.
The original video is about 18 minutes and was posted on ACU 2020 website in October 2020 which was later taken down by YouTube for violating its terms of service, a report published in the News Wire stated.
In the video, Dr. Dolores Cahill, former Professor of Immunology at the University College Dublin is heard talking about Covid-19 asserting that the virus was only the flu that can be treated without necessarily imposing lockdowns and restrictions on people.
"We are here to say that there is good news. The coronavirus is a seasonal virus that causes illness and symptoms from December to April. And for people who have symptoms, there are treatments like inhaled steroids, hydroxychloroquine, and zinc. So there is no need for the lockdown. There is no need for fear, there is no need for masks or social distancing, or for quarantining people. They are locking people in their homes for last year's flu for which there is an effective treatment. So we want to communicate this message to the people that there is no need for fear."
This viral clip is circulating on Facebook with the caption, "Now what is this--- Breaking News: WHO accepted its mistake and took a complete U-turn, saying that Corona is a seasonal virus, it is a cough, cold and sore throat that occurs during the change of weather, there is a need to panic. WHO now says that the corona patient neither needs to be isolated nor does the public need social distancing. It is also not transmitted from one patient to another. See WHO's press conference. .... Pls share it maximum. (sic)"
Another report published in Boomlive.in stated that the organization World Doctor’s Alliance was accused of spreading misinformation related to the pandemic earlier as well.
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Sharad Pawar's 'merger with Cong' remark shows it's difficult for him to run his party,says Fadnavis
Mumbai, May 8: NCP founder Sharad Pawar's remark on regional parties' possible merger with the Congress shows it has become difficult for him to manage his own party, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde latched on to Pawar's comment to target Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, saying the latter has already become "Congress-minded".
Another leader of the ruling 'Mahayuti' in Maharashtra said Pawar's remarks reflect that ground was slipping from under his feet in his home turf Baramati and the only option before him was merging his party with the Congress.
In an interview to The Indian Express, Pawar said that in the next couple of years, several regional parties will associate more closely with the Congress or may look at the option of merger with it if they believe that is best for their party.
To a question if that applied to his own party, Pawar told the newspaper that he doesn't see any difference between the Congress and his party because both belong to the Gandhi, Nehru line of thinking.
Pawar made it clear that any decision on strategy or the next step will be taken collectively. He also said that his party is close to the Congress ideologically and that Uddhav Thackeray is positive about working together with like-minded parties.
Asked about Pawar's remark, Shinde said the Shiv Sena (UBT) has already become Congress-minded.
"Pawar is a big leader and he makes such statements. But the Sena (UBT) faction has already become Congress as they speak the language of the Congress and Pakistan," Shinde, who heads the ruling Shiv Sena, said.
"Just the formality (of merger between them) is remaining," he added.
Fadnavis said that through his remark, Pawar might be suggesting that it was difficult for him to run his party and hence he may opt to merge it with the Congress.
"It is nothing new because Pawar has formed new parties and later merged them with the Congress," he said.
Former Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, who recently rejoined the ruling Shiv Sena led by CM Shinde, said Pawar has been thinking about merging his party with the Congress for a long time and even the Congress had given the proposal to this effect to him.
"But Congress rejected the proposal to entrust the leadership to Supriya Sule. Pawar's fresh comment suggests that the ground is slipping from under his feet in Baramati. Even if that is not the case, he has no option but merge his party with Congress which will be seen as a merger of two loss-making companies," the former MP said.
BJP leader Prasad Lad asked whether the Sena (UBT) will merge with the Congress along with the Sharad Pawar-led party.
"Uddhav Thackeray has stopped saying 'My Hindu brothers and sisters' at the outset of his speeches. He has become friends with those who criticise Veer Savarkar. Only time will tell whether Thackeray will merge his party with Congress," he said.
NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule said her father made a generic statement.
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly and senior Congress leader Vijay Waddetiwar said there was truth in what Pawar said.
"He has a long-term vision. People are fed up with the dictatorial regime and want a change of guard," he said, targeting the BJP-led government.
Chhagan Bhujbal of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP said he doesn't think regional parties will merge with the Congress.
"They are strong in their respective states and have formed governments in West Bengal and Odisha," he said, referring to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
The NCP founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999 split in July 2023 after his nephew Ajit Pawar rebelled against him and joined the Eknath Shinde-led government. The Election Commission and assembly speaker later recognised the Ajit Pawar-led faction as the "real NCP" and allotted the clock symbol to it, while the NCP (SP) group was given 'man blowing turha' as the symbol.
