Be wary of information sources regarding COVID-19 because it will help you make sound decisions regarding preventative efforts, says Health Ministry chief medical adviser Doctor Jemesa Tudravu.
Speaking during a virtual iTaukei panel on COVID-19 vaccine, Dr Tudravu advised people to rely on information from the World Health Organization and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr Tudravu said information from these sources regarding the virus were verified and backed up with science.
He said the biggest issue they were faced with was the misinformation circulated on the mass media, especially Facebook, regarding the virus.
Also responding to questions regarding the validity of COVID-19 information circulated on social media, Pacific Community’s Senior Epidemiologist: Surveillance, Preparedness and Response Program, Dr Sala Saketa said information from the WHO was reliable considering the organisation’s work in the health sector worldwide for the past 70 years.
Since COVID-19 was new, Dr Saketa said it was always good to seek reliable information regarding the pandemic from reliable sources, so people could make correct decisions on how to protect themselves and their loved ones.
Dr Saketa said it was important that people had correct information since they could influence their comrades to make better decisions to protect themselves.
She encouraged people to rely more on researched information from reliable sources.
