Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) brought on several social, economic, political, and environmental challenges. What was mostly questioned was the efficacy of the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002 (As Amended 16 of 2015) (DMA), which was used to declare COVID-19 a disaster. The concern was whether the DMA is able to deal with pandemics when its focus is mostly on climate-related disasters. Most public health emergencies experience the spread of overwhelming information, some of which may be true and others may be false information. This article discusses the home remedies and myths related to COVID-19, that could impede pandemic response efforts. Subsequently, this study raises a question regarding the effectiveness of DMA to deal with such types of compounding risks. In doing so, this research is exploratory where the DMA and the media articles on COVID-19 home remedies and myths are systematically reviewed. Coronavirus disease 2019 home remedies and myths were found to be hazardous and the DMA was found unprepared to deal with such types of compounding risks. ‘Infodemic management’ needs to be considered in the DMA in order to prepare for effective disaster response.
Highlights
The entire world is at risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with millions of lives lost, millions infected, and livelihoods affected
It is evident that the home remedies and myths about COVID-19 have become a hazardous health ‘infodemics’ that impedes the pandemic response efforts
Whilst various measures were put in place to respond to the negative effects of ‘infodemics’, the DMA which was used to declare COVID-19 a disaster, is silent on addressing this issue
Summary
The entire world is at risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with millions of lives lost, millions infected, and livelihoods affected. Governments’ efforts to prevent and mitigate the effects of the pandemic are somehow compromised. Citizen journalists and even some government officials disseminate information that impedes the governments’ efforts to fight the pandemic. The emerging problems are the overwhelming spread of information, some of it true and some of it fake. All of this occurs, amidst the efforts to mitigate and prevent the health issue. Amidst the efforts to mitigate and prevent the health issue This situation impedes the pandemic response efforts, in most cases exacerbating the health emergency (Gallotti et al 2020). In a situation like this, policies and legislation must be in place to effectively manage complex situations like these
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