AUTHORITIES in France have launched a public information campaign about COVID-19, with the aim of dispelling social media rumours that the disease can be treated with cocaine.
It's not sure whether the initial posts were meant in jest, but they quickly went viral, with the French Health Ministry forced to respond on Twitter, saying "No, cocaine does NOT protect against COVID-19...it is an addictive drug that causes serious side effects and is harmful to a person's health".
As if a rising tide of coronavirus infections isn't enough for the health system to deal with, officials in France have also been forced to dispel several other rumours, including speculation that using hand sanitiser can cause cancer.
And in India there's another novel approach to public information about COVID-19, with several of the country's mobile networks replacing ring-tones on outgoing calls with a message about the virus.
Vodafone is among operators who have updated their systems with the message, so when calling someone instead of hearing the familiar ring-tone users are instead presented with the sound of someone coughing before an advisory about COVID-19 safety.
Although implemented in response to government requests, the message has come in for some criticism for "creating a bit of panic" among already very anxious people.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 18 Mar 20
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 18 Mar 20
