TFC weekly monitoring report, May 29- Jun 4, 2023: Concerns over the pandemic drive the spread of misinformation

The Taiwan FactCheck Center releases a weekly report on the trends of misinformation from the previous week. Here are the highlights from the latest edition.

The rumors that gained traction in the past week mainly revolved around the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we observed that many recent rumors were past misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. 

One rumor falsely claimed that the virus would linger in the throat and suggested gargling with saltwater as a preventive measure, using the name of a physician from the renowned Tri-Service General Hospital. This rumor first appeared in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 and resurfaced recently. Additionally, there was a resurgence of a false remedy claiming that consuming more bananas and drinking warm lemon water could prevent infection.

Screenshot of the COVID-related image suggesting gargling with saltwater as a preventive measure

Regarding the ongoing fourth wave of the pandemic, a rumor was circulating about a specific hospital having a high number of healthcare workers testing positive for COVID-19, causing potential staffing shortages. However, our investigation confirmed that the hospital mentioned in the rumor did not experience the situation described.

Approach COVID online rumors with skepticism

When facing pandemic-related rumors online, examine the source of the information. If the message lacks a credible source or the source is questionable, it should be approached with skepticism. For the latest updates on the pandemic, people can refer to the COVID-19 Scientific Prevention Channel hosted by Professor Chen Hsiu-Hsi at the National Taiwan University School of Public Health or visit the official website of the Centers for Disease Control.

Experts pointed out that the dominant variant of concern is currently the XBB variant. Although highly transmissible, it mainly causes mild symptoms, and there has not been an increase in severe cases or mortality rates.

Alarmist rumors about public safety

Another rumor that gained traction starting in May claimed that there were organ trafficking activities at the Yongan Fishing Port in Taoyuan, urging people not to visit or engage in maritime activities there. 

However, the origin of this rumor was a human trafficking case that occurred in November 2022, where the police posed as intermediaries in an organ trade transaction and arrested the suspects in the parking lot after meeting them at Yongan Fishing Port. 

In other words, Yongan Fishing Port was merely the location where the police conducted their operation, but the rumor exaggerated the situation, falsely portraying the area as unsafe.

The resurgence of long-standing traffic regulations

We also saw that rumors about “new traffic regulations” have been circulating frequently, misleading the public. 

Several recent online rumors claimed that “pedestrians not using crosswalks will be fined 1800 NT dollars” and “failure to yield to pedestrians would result in fines,” among others. However, these claims are actually long-standing traffic regulations, and the rumors often inaccurately state the fine amounts.