The coronavirus, that has changed and shaken the world agenda, has become the main topic of the Azerbaijani media and social media. It is quite complicated to sort out news in this information flow, in other words, to differentiate false information from true one. 

In terms of the postulate “When a dog bites a man, it is not news, but when a man bites a dog, it is news”, the coronavirus and its risk degree should not have been taken to this extent. However, it is seen that currently, the public faces a panic attack.

In any case, medical experts, as well as media experts, share this opinion.

Speaking on the "Target" program of Azerbaijan Television about the coronavirus symptoms, infectious diseases specialist Farrukh Sadirov said that pneumonia is rarely observed in the patients infected with the coronavirus: “The main symptoms of the coronavirus are 38-degree fever, headache and nasal stuffiness. Complications are observed in only 5% of those infected with it. 81% of patients experience it in a light form and 14% in a moderately heavy form.”

According to the statistical information, only 2% of those infected with the coronavirus die. This disease is not very different from ordinary flu; it does not pose any threat to people with a strong immune system.

In this case, the agiotage created around the disease seems more dangerous than the coronavirus itself.

Commenting on the issue on AzTV, editor-in-chief of the "Azvision.az" website Vusal Mammadov said that the coronavirus is more a psychological virus rather than a biological one: "When we compare its biological danger with other contagious diseases, we can be sure of that. Thus, flu, HIV, ordinary pneumonia, sexually transmitted diseases cause more damage than the coronavirus.

However, we do not panic because of this. As one of my acquitance doctors said, if people bought other protective means like masks and pure alcohol, we would live in a healthy society. Nevertheless, they do not buy, because not coronavirus makes us buy masks and pure alcohol, it is the sensation created around it. This panic might be even a bit useful on a smaller scale, but it is not possible to keep any mass panic under control. It will further increase and damage both the people, and the state.

Today, the panic happening in the world economy, the collapse of stock markets, the weakening of the economic growth and the cheapening of oil are not the impacts of the coronavirus, but its psychological background.

When people's temperature slightly rises, the worst scenarios come to their mind, they stress out, and as a result, they worsen their situation even more.

However, if we behave more patiently, we will realize that the coronavirus is not scary at all, it is better to fight with it with a cold head. More likely, the virus itself will not damage Azerbaijan. Now, the main issue is to prevent the damage caused by it."

Corporative Communications and PR expert Ilham Mammadzade considers that the false information flow is a more dangerous, hardly preventable case leaving traces: "In terms of the salvation of the mankind and protection of the society, the fight against the virus requires the work of human brain. It is possible to find a solution to the virus and prevent it in a short period of time and by less financial expenses. However, the fight against the false information flow is difficult.

In any case, to cure and neutralize disease and virus, they are blocked, and an infected person, family or province is placed in quarantine. Later, the preventive treatment is launched. In turn, it means the localization of the process.  

It is possible to contract a virus without interacting with an infected person in one of 100 cases. Nevertheless, the false information flow targets everybody who considers themselves a part of the society. The only and open answer to this is that we live in the era of globalization and technologies. The false information made up on one continent of the world might spread to other continents and societies within minutes and become a topic of discussions. The treatment of a bacteriological virus is easier than the prevention of its spread. The prevention of the false information flow and its "treatment" are complicated." 

It is noteworthy that the Operative Headquarters consisting of high-ranking officials of the relevant state bodies and institutions has been created under the Cabinet of Ministers to prevent the threats that the coronavirus might cause in the territory of Azerbaijan; preventive and immediate measures have been taken.

The statistics at the end: According to the World Health Organization, at least 250, 000 people die from ordinary flu annually.

 

Vusal Mammadov