The coronavirus pandemic also brought many WhatsApp forwards with it. Not that it was a novel concept in our country, but the "helpful" home remedies to keep the virus at bay and some ridiculous "UNICEF" claims, made many believe it and make kadhas with cloves, ginger, garlic etc.
Now, there is a fake forward doing the rounds on WhatsApp which could be very harmful to our lives amid this unprecedented pandemic. According to the forward, the Union Government is giving Rs 1.5 lakh to every Municipal Corporation per every COVID-19 patient, and thus the Corporation along with private doctors are increasing the COVID-19 cases.
"The Central Government has declared Rs 1.5 lakh per COVID-19 patient to the Municipal Corporations. So, the people are requested to stay vigilant as Corporation and private doctors are declaring even a person with normal fever or a cold or a cough as COVID-19 positive," read the forward in Marathi.
This fake forward reached the Vasai village and people refused to get themselves treated.
This is what happened health officials came to the village:
Meanwhile, a doctor has rubbished these fake forwards and said that a patient is declared COVID-19 positive, only after his/her throat swab is tested by government-regulated labs like Metropolis or SRL etc. Its not up to any private doctors to label a person as COVID positive or not. "Please refrain from forwarding such messages," the doctor added.
In Maharashtra, the number of COVID-19 crossed 2.5 lakh to reach 254,427, the active cases the 1 lakh-mark to touch 103,516, and the state reported 173 more deaths taking the Covid-19 toll to 10,289, according to officials here on Sunday.
