EDITORIAL – Crying wolf

There are no confirmed cases yet of the Wuhan coronavirus in Cebu, contrary to some reports you might see or read in social media.

And the person being held responsible for posting this fake news, a certain Jewel Louie Alviso, has been identified and is set to face charges soon, according to Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas.

Alviso allegedly posted false information last Friday that there was a confirmed case of the Wuhan coronavirus in Talisay City.

He has since apologized for doing so, but in this case a sorry is not enough as Gullas is bent on following through with the charges, citing the directive of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra against spreading fake news regarding the Wuhan coronavirus.

As a former member of the Talisay Rescue Team, Alviso should have known what panic can do to people already on edge, being bombarded by a lot of bad news.

You can also not blame some people for reacting the way they did. The Wuhan coronavirus has killed over 700 people and is showing little signs of slowing down in its spread across the world.

In this day and age, it’s also a sad fact that more people readily believe what they read in social media over what they read in the traditional media.

Those who share news like these without taking time to verify its veracity can also share some of the blame. While they may not be responsible for making up the fake news, they bear some of the responsibility in sowing panic.

We have mentioned it before and we have to mention it again; fears caused by unfounded rumors can cause even more destruction than the actual disease itself. And in some cases, false rumors can spread even faster than the actual virus.

Let this be a lesson for those who just want to cry wolf. Let the charges be filed against Alviso and all others who invent false rumors about this latest world health crisis.