Coronavirus: The Worst Hoaxes of the Week

Coronavirus : Has the coronavirus hoax pandemic that has gripped Italians over the past seven days reached its peak? Or are we facing new and delusional fake news in the coming days? Unable to predict the latter, Spendimeno aims to collect and catalog all the fake news that are literally raining down on us, including WhatsApp messages, alarmed (and alarming) Facebook posts, and emails from the most imaginative, seemingly authoritative, sources. Between the serious and the humorous, here are some of the top hoaxes that emerged during the first week of our country's "lockdown," and were subsequently debunked by the institutions themselves or by technicians and experts consulted by AdnKronos Salute .

INPS pension cuts

Already anxious about the coronavirus and the threat to their health, our poor elderly—unused to these kinds of alarms and, consequently, to discerning— are deliberately bombarded with fake news every day. On WhatsApp, here's the INPS hoax, alleged message no. 1003, signed by the Deputy Director General:

Pension payments for the month of April will be reduced by 50%, to then be fully recovered in the month of August.

A colossal hoax, unfortunately reproduced very well, complete with INPS letterhead and the Director's signature.

Stop payments from the Public Administration!

Similar in nature, but with a different objective, is the fake press release from NoiPa , the portal where the Public Administration manages public employee payments. The press release, also on regular letterhead, states:

The temporary suspension of payments for the months of March and April 2020 in order to find urgent financial resources to be used for the purchase of healthcare equipment and medical-surgical devices to effectively combat the spread of COVID-19.

In a post on its Facebook page, NoiPa categorically dissociates itself and states that the news is patently false.

"It takes a lot of vitamin C!"

On WhatsApp, a woman claims:

Vitamin C is very effective for coronavirus patients. They're using it as a therapy, and people are responding very well.

Andrea Gori , director of Infectious Diseases at the Policlinico di Milano, categorically denies the news.

The therapies we use to treat coronavirus patients at the Policlinico, as well as at the Sacco and San Gerardo hospitals, are standardized because they were decided upon by the heads of infectious diseases throughout the Lombardy region in a coordinated manner: vitamin C is absolutely not included.

Alongside this fake news, social media has been reporting claims of Cebion being used as a coronavirus cover-up. Dompè , the drug's manufacturer, has also distanced itself from the misleading message, announcing it will pursue legal action to protect its position and reputation.

"If you stay at home, a check for 350 euros for you!"

Once again, WhatsApp proves to be the dominant medium for viral messages, which in this case promise sums of money on the sole condition of staying home. "A circular from the Ministry has been approved, €350 for those who stay at home" is one of them. Or: "PS4 is giving away a €50 voucher to all the kids who stay at home!" Nothing like the world of PlayStation.

The Pope's prayer

Even Pope Francis himself would have been the target, or rather, an unwitting instrument of alarmism and chaos. This prayer, though very beautiful, circulating on social media in recent days, is certainly not his work!

Tonight before you fall asleep, think about when we'll be back on the streets. When we'll hug each other again, when going grocery shopping together will feel like a celebration. Let's think about when we'll have coffee at the bar again, the chats, the photos held close together. Let's think about when everything will be a memory, but normality will seem like an unexpected and beautiful gift. We'll cherish everything that until now has seemed futile. Every second will be precious. The swims in the sea, the late-night sun, the sunsets, the toasts, the laughter. We'll laugh together again. Strength and courage. See you soon!

The virus that survives on asphalt for 9 days

Another WhatsApp, another audio file. A woman, obviously a friend of a doctor, invites us all to use only one pair of shoes for our longed-for outings . And to leave them outside the door when we return.

All work activities will be suspended from March 16th.

Since yesterday, a false statement from the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) has been predicting a lockdown of all work activities starting March 16th due to the coronavirus emergency. The Ministry itself immediately denied this, posting a statement on its official channel :

Unfortunately, during this #coronavirus emergency, the spread of #fakenews continues. We are reporting a completely false press release with a layout from the Ministry of Economy and Finance . This fake news article concerns "measures to suspend all work activities starting March 16, 2020." We urge you to be careful and only trust press releases published through official MEF channels.