UN recognises Malayali researcher's fight against COVID-19 misinformation

The Sweden-based clinical neuroscientist and researcher was recognised for her tireless efforts to counter the spread of fake news. 
Dr Netha Hussain
Dr Netha Hussain

KOZHIKODE: Dr Netha Hussain, who has been waging a digital battle against COVID-19 misinformation on Wikipedia, received a mention by the United Nations recently through its official twitter handle. 

The Sweden-based clinical neuroscientist and researcher was recognised for her tireless efforts to counter the spread of fake news.
 
Netha, who has a decade-long experience in editing for Wikipedia and ensuring only authentic news reaches people especially in the field of medicine, says misinformation on COVID is doing the rounds on social media, mostly in South Asian countries. 

"One such inaccurate information was that the disease could be prevented if garlic, ginger, vitamin C and citrus fruits are consumed. Another one was that coronavirus cannot exist in high temperatures. I have written close to 30 articles on COVID-19 in Wikipedia to debunk such myths. One of the articles is named 'List of unproven methods against COVID-19'," says Netha.
 
She warns that hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug, is not exactly good for Covid-19 infection, but people still believe it is effective. 

"I was affected by the incident in which a family of four in Andhra Pradesh consumed juice made of toxic seeds of datura plant believing it to be a cure for COVID and ended up in hospital," Netha told The New Indian Express.

Closed groups are main carriers of fake news

According to Netha, closed groups in social media, particularly on WhatsApp are the main carriers of inaccurate information. 

"Once the news is out, it is very difficult to retract it. Even if the author apologises, the misinformation is already doing the rounds. To contain this, it is important that only right information is shared. Also, it is helpful to debunk such news," said Netha, who added that there is a lot misinformation being circulated in Kerala.

Started with Chammanthi

Natha Hussain's bonhomie with Wikipedia started a decade ago when she was a first-year medical student at Calicut Medical College (CMC). 

"I found my favourite cuisine missing from Wikipedia; Chammanthi. I wrote an article about it on Wiki. This was the beginning. Now it's easier for me. I took it as my responsibility to combat misinformation. It has been a fun, learning experience as well," she said.

Natha also writes about women's biographies and current affairs related to India as well. 

A native of Kunnamangalam, she recently completed PhD in Clinical Neuroscience from University of Gothenburg in Sweden. She is now involved in a project for Wikipedia to combat misinformation related to vaccine safety.
 

ALSO SEE:

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com