Everyone is responsible to prevent COVID-19 from spreading
The 2019 novel coronavirus continues to spread globally after it was first discovered end of last year. Since its outbreak, rumors have further aggravated the tension surrounding the outbreak. The Singapore government has set up an official website and communication software to keep the public up-to-date on the latest outbreak information in order to combat rumors and fake news. Tzu Chi volunteers on the other hand are still visiting care recipients at their home to show care and share with them proper hygiene practices to protect themselves from the virus. The virus may be spreading fast, but the public can still live a normal life by taking proper precautionary measures.
In Singapore, news and information related to COVID-19 has been all over various social media platforms since the outbreak. Can you tell which of them are true?
Member of the public： I view Facebook most of the time, some of my friends send them to me through WhatsApp// How to distinguish the real from fake? I don’t know, I can’t tell, I will see how many people are sharing the same thing.
Member of the public：I have got myself registered with government’sportal, gov.sg, and I get it through WhatsApp daily. The ones which come from trusted sources is what I rely on.
Unconfirmed news can cause panic and fear among people, therefore, stopping fake news from circulating is a way to protect ourselves. We can obtain the latest updates on the outbreak from the official channels and take precautionary measures. It is our collective responsibility to fight the epidemic.
While the DORSCON alert level was yellow, Tzu Chi volunteers visited their care recipients at their homes to share about hygiene practices and to show care.
Goh Leay Ying - Asst Manager Charity Development Dept： Through sharing the correct information and having our volunteers speak to them face to face, we hope to ease the tension of our care recipients, strengthen their self-protection and tell them not to over react or panic. On 7 February 2020, the DORSCON alert level was raised to Orange
Dr Edwin Lim - Tzu Chi’s Head of Medical Services ：Now the DORSCON orange is more for healthcare sector, and community to be more aware, so we have a stepped up on certain measures healthcare setting to limit the spread. If you suspect you had come in contact with some cases or you have been out of country to China or something, and you having fever or sore throat, maybe you should see a doctor earlier.
There are no better ways to beat the outbreak, obtain latest information through the right official channel. Carry on with life and maintain good personal hygiene.
