When the first cases of Covid-19 were recorded in Africa in February, it was clear governments across the continent faced a test against tackling the virus as well as misinformation.
Within days of the first case in Nigeria, WhatsApp broadcasts spreading misleading information about cures and remedies for the novel coronavirus had already made the rounds. It followed similar episodes back in 2014 during an Ebola epidemic in parts of West Africa which saw WhatsApp broadcasts prescribing salt baths as a cure for the disease. Despite being debunked by the government, two people died and several others were hospitalized over excessive salt consumption in Nigeria.
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Source: Whatsapp is source of Covid-19 news, misinformation for Africans — Quartz Africa