PART I- Fake News
We live in a world where information travels from one side
of the world to the other in a split second. It’s almost like magic.
Communication is easier and more efficient than ever before.
As great as this is, we need to be very wary about the
information we are presented with. As intelligent beings, it is our responsibility
to think critically about the information and news we are exposed to. Not everything
you come across online is true.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I know several people who
have an unhealthy habit of sending chain-mail messages on Whatsapp that are just
full of “fake news”. These messages are designed as a method of fear-mongering,
and fuel ignorance like wood in a wildfire.
My absolute favourites have got to be the messages that claim
the cure to every existing disease is lemon and ginger water, supported by
statistics fabricated from thin air.
Got an infection of any kind- drink as much lemon and ginger
water as possible.
You’ve been diagnosed with cancer? Just drink a glass of
lemon and ginger water and you’ll be good to go!
Recently suffered from a stroke? Lemon and ginger will fix
that right up.
You required an amputation? Ah, you didn’t drink enough lemon
and ginger water (rookie mistake).
(Don’t get me wrong, lemon and ginger have been proven to
have medicinal properties to aid healing and prevent certain ailments, but it
is not a miracle cure-all.)
Trust me, anything your great aunt has sent you; I am sure I
have been sent it too, and I am not the type to let it slide. I am the annoying
relative who corrects every inaccurate fact that is presented before me, I am
not one to entertain the nonsense that underpins ignorance.
So, you can imagine how this pandemic has been going for me;
everywhere I turn, people who have been fed lies are sharing these phoney
sources, thinking that they are doing the world a favour. Though I admire the
sentiment, this is a big issue as people are always quick to believe a fake
narrative, as they tend to be more entertaining. A lot of the time the truth is
quite boring, and harder to swallow.
Although you might want to believe in the conspiracy
theories that I addressed in my previous post, or perhaps you might think that downing
a jug of lemon and ginger water is the answer to this current pandemic- the
truth is, we need to protect ourselves and others by following social
distancing protocol, washing our hands both thoroughly and regularly.
As well as this, in the UK from the 24th of July
we will all be expected to wear a face mask in public enclosed spaces where
possible. (If you are looking for face masks to go with your outfits, now is
the best time to order them because we are not accepting excuses out here.
@Rar.London on Instagram has a really nice range you might wanna check out, and
every order will be supporting a black business).
PART II- Bibliography
As promised, I am going to be using this blog post to build
a bibliography of sources that will keep you in the know regarding the COVID-19
pandemic globally. I intend to update the bibliography regularly, and you can
feel free to send over sources that you think will be useful for others on any
of my socials (@IAMLENGA).
WEBSITES
·
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
·
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
·
https://www.cebm.net/oxford-covid-19-evidence-service/
·
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
·
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
VIDEOS
·
https://youtu.be/0ts8X3HDtPE
: Doctor Shares The Biggest Lie About COVID-19 | UK Data
·
https://youtu.be/U8r3oTVMtQ0
: Recognizing Day to Day Signs and Symptoms of Coronavirus
·
https://youtu.be/i0ZabxXmH4Y
: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
[To be continued…]
…
Thank you so much for reading this blog post! I know that I
said I would have this ready by Friday, but better late than never right! Like
always, I hope you’ve taken something from this, (even if it’s just to ease up
on the Whatsapp chain mail).
But ultimately, I just want you to know what I
know, you know!
Signed,
IAMLENGA
…
If you enjoyed this post, please make sure to subscribe to
this blog, and share this post.
Also, follow my socials to stay up to date and become a part
of wider discussions about issues brought up in this blog post.
Instagram: @IAMLENGA
Twitter: @IAMLENGA
[Business email: iamlenga.blog@gmail.com]
…
*SHOUT OUT:
Check out @Rar.London, a black female owned business, for
your fashion forward masks.
Stay safe, stay careful and stay in the know!
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