Corona Virus Myth Marketing: Just Do it - I

On the eve of the new year, in Wuhan, little did the health authorities knew that the pneumonia cases of unknown cause would soon change the Chinese ‘Year of Rat’ into ‘Year of Bat’. Although, bat at best remains a suspect until proven guilty – But then the scientific inquiry is not one of the fortes of WhatsApp University. The land of Kung-Fu soon turned into a country of King-Flu. The outbreak has taken a big toll on the Chinese economy. The virus has the potential to shake up China trade and Trump’s re-election bid more than the tariff wars. China, known for giving demand and supply shocks to other countries is getting a taste of its own medicine.

On the brighter side, people’s perception of ‘Made in China’ is changing because for the first time something made in China is so durable and long-lasting. The virus has reduced more carbon footprint than Greta Thunberg and her supporters could. The uncertainty is actually higher in the United States, or at least globally than in China itself. The tension between the US and North Korea is at an all-time low as the latter is busy shooting its corona patients. The association of the virus with Corona beer grew so much that the champions of the beer at WHO changed the virus name from corona to Covid - to avoid confusion. Shortage of toilet papers in the western world has forced them to upgrade to Indian technique of water splash and hand wash.

The hysteria over Coronavirus is spreading faster than the virus itself and is no longer limited to China. As per WHO over 1.25 lakh confirmed cases spread across 118 countries, areas or territories have been detected so far. China is still leading the tally with 65% of cases followed by Italy (10%), Iran (7%) and Korea (6%). The virus has claimed over 4600 lives so far and the stock markets are running shit scared. The virus is certainly not a death sentence with only around 2.3% of people dying and especially those with lower immunity. Shares around the globe have plunged with FTSE 100, Dow, S&P 500 witnessing their worst day since 1987. Investor sentiment is at an all-time low with the fear of the coronavirus destroying economic growth and lack of trust in government’s ability to revive it.

The virus has also entered India. As per GOI’s website, the total number of confirmed cases in India is 75 which also includes 17 foreign nationals. The virus has claimed one life so far and 3 people have been cured of it. The new virus is so contagious that it is faster than the slowdown in the Indian economy, and is second only to the speed of rising unemployment in India. Corona or करो – ना (literally translates into ‘Just Do it’ in Hindi) Virus is the new darling of Myth Mongers in India. They love to ‘Just Do it’ bypassing junk science falsehoods in the disguise of serious advice to instil unfounded fear or hope. Often, they are the easiest, prettiest and loudest advice for the gullible ears. Only one form of contagion travels faster than virus…and it is the myth. Let us attempt to dissect a few of them.

Time for the humble mask to bask in glory: Standard surgical masks cannot protect you from getting infected. That said, surgical masks can help prevent infected people from spreading the virus further or someone who is in close contact with a patient. Though it seems intuitively obvious that if you cover your nose and mouth with something, it will filter out particles floating around. The only problem: Not effective against respiratory illnesses like the flu and COVID-19. To top it, imagine the irony of putting on a mask to avoid Coronavirus – Only to realize that the mask has also been made in China. In India, the mask safety has gone to another level with miscreants arrested in Delhi saying that they had covered their face because of coronavirus scare. We will continue with busting more myths in our next article…

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