The United Nations Children's Fund has reacted to viral reports that staying away from ice cream and eating cold can prevent coronavirus.
Coronavirus
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has called on people to be wary of messages circulating on the internet saying that staying away from ice cream and cold food prevents Coronavirus.
The agency debunked the news.
UNICEF has warned the public about the spread of coronavirus misinformation after a scam message claimed to be from the humanitarian aid organization started circulating around social media.
The fake message had been translated into several languages stated “that avoiding ice cream and other cold foods can prevent the onset of the disease,” among other things, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Partnerships Charlotte Petri Gornitzka has debunked this claim in a statement.
Gornitzka ordered the creators of the message to stop sharing inaccurate information and “attempting to imbue it with authority by misappropriating the names of those in a position of trust.”
“Misinformation during times of a health crisis can spread paranoia, fear and stigmatization,” she said. “It can also result in people being left unprotected or more vulnerable to the virus.”
Gornitzka also advised the public to seek accurate information on how to stay safe from verified sources, such as UNICEF and the World Health Organization.