Not just Covid, doctors fight fake news with humour and science

From stuffing camphor potlis in noses to avoiding vaccines during periods, there is more myth than fact on Covid but some medics are filling in the gap

- HIMANSHI DHAWAN

Main Coronavirus hoon (I am the Coronavirus)…coming to a nose near you,” says a mocking voice. “You have a choice, ventilate the room or you can go to the hospital to ventilate yourself.” The punchlines come in thick and fast as full-time ENT surgeon and part-time standup comic Dr Jagdish Chaturvedi completes his two-minute video on the new symptoms that the second wave of Covid has brought.

As news of death and desperation dominates headlines, Chaturvedi, or “Corona wala doctor”, is lending some gallows humour to difficult times. “There is a lot of misinformation related to the disease, masks and vaccines. When I find some fake news is getting a lot of attention, I make a video busting those myths,” he says. The Bengaluru-based surgeon runs an Instagram and Twitter account that he has been using since last year to put out evidence-backed information on the disease.

Doctors are not just treating Covidstricken patients but have also declared war against misinformation. YouTube videos, Insta lives and chats on TwitterSpaces are being used to clear misconceptions that range from Covid being a conspiracy to blaming the vaccines for causing the disease itself.