This Twitter photo suggests that cocaine can kill the coronavirus. - Twitter

  • On Twitter, a user posted a photo of what looks like a screenshot of a news channel that reads, in English: "Cocaine kills the coronavirus".
  • The photo comes from an online generator that allows, with a few clicks, to make this kind of editing.
  • As the Ministry of Solidarity and Health specifies, "to date, no specific treatment has been identified for this new coronavirus".

In addition to misconceptions, the coronavirus carries with it its share of rumors. At the start of the week, a viral message posted on WhatsApp ensured that fennel prevented the risk of infection. A false rumor from Brazil that had exploded the sales of this plant in Cape Verde.

Also at the start of the week, a user posted on Twitter a photo of what looks like a screenshot of a 24-hour news channel. Under a “breaking news” box, one can read, in English: “cocaine kills the coronavirus” and “scientists are discovering how a drug can eradicate an epidemic”.

This photo showing the images of a news channel is in fact a montage - Capture Twitter

Shared thousands of times, the image has spread like wildfire on networks. On Facebook, especially in groups of techno music aficionados, and on Twitter, in messages questioning the veracity of the matter.

FAKE OFF

Bad news for the dealers, no news channel has broadcast such a message. The photo comes from an automatic memes generator which allows, with a few clicks, to import an illustration of your choice and to write your own message. All you have to do is photograph it on a screen to give this image the illusion of broadcasting on television, as we did below.

With the image generator, it is very easy to make a misleading montage - 20 Minutes

As stated by the Ministry of Solidarity and Health on its site, "to date, no specific treatment has been identified for this new coronavirus". The ministry, which has posted a frequently asked question on the subject, specifies that "several treatments, currently used in other viral pathologies, are being evaluated, in France and in connection with the WHO, to be used against 2019-nCoV. Until then, the treatment is symptomatic ”.

Even more dangerous

In addition, taking cocaine has never treated any disease so far, on the contrary. As reported by the Association of Addictovigilance Centers in its May 2019 bulletin, its consumption leads to complications, in particular cardiovascular and respiratory.

However, as the government points out, in the case of the coronavirus as in many infectious diseases, people with underlying chronic pathologies such as respiratory distress, for example, are at higher risk. Store the straws.

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20 Minutes is a partner of Facebook to fight against fake news. Thanks to this device, users of the social network can report information that they believe is false.

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