Coronavirus in Scotland: Cluster linked to high school pupils - BBC News
As schools go back for the new academic term a virus cluster with links to a high school has been identified.
The WHO has warned of an infodemic of misinformation during the coronavirus pandemic Image caption: The WHO has warned of an infodemic of misinformation during the coronavirus pandemic

At least 800 people died worldwide as a result of coronavirus-related misinformation in the first three months of this year, a study has found.

A further 5,800 people were admitted to hospital after being exposed to false information on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and chat apps, the study said .

The study’s authors echoed statements from the World Health Organization (WHO), which warned the Covid-19 “infodemic” spread just as quickly as the virus itself.

Most of the deaths and hospital admissions were the result of people drinking methanol and alcohol-based cleaning products, wrongly believing them to be a cure for coronavirus.

But following advice that resembles credible medical information - such as ingesting large quantities of vitamins - can also have “potentially serious implications”, the authors say.

The paper concludes that it’s down to international agencies, governments and social media platforms to fight back against this “infodemic”.

A BBC investigation, which can be read here, found links between virus misinformation and assaults, arson and deaths.