By Estefania Magdalena | Staff Writer

The consequences of the coronavirus to date have been several: On one hand, there’s the spread of a disease that was previously unknown; and on the other hand, there’s a disinformation epidemic that is leading the human race to unnecessary paranoia.

The last time I went to the supermarket, the image of a totally empty toilet paper aisle gave me the impression that the apocalypse of the world was approaching or as if the zombies were about to attack us.

People do not want to take planes or cruises. They don’t even want to go for walks in crowded areas. I was able to see this last weekend when I was walking around Waikīkī. I have never seen Waikīkī with so few people walking on the street in my life.

Misinformation leads people to act blinded by fear and ignorance; the coronavirus is not the next alien war, nor is it going to kill the entire world population.

Although for now all the necessary information about the virus is not known, and there is a percentage of the population that is at risk, these percentages are small compared to other diseases that are already widely investigated, such as dengue or the measles.

By this I do not mean that certain hygienic care is necessary to avoid getting infected, or to provide emergency medical care to people who need it, but of all the things listed to protect us from the virus, I very much doubt going to the supermarket and buying 300 rolls of toilet paper and 40 drums of water are helpful. 

Between people’s fear of contracting an unknown disease, the little medicinally known information about what it is, and people sharing untrue information on social media, a new epidemic began to spread along with Covid-19: wrong information.

There is a wave of disinformation too serious that is leading to generate more chaos than the matter really deserves.

The reality is that it is something that does not yet have much information, and for which no vaccine has been created, but the situation is changing day by day.

Almost all students await the arrival of summer and be able to enjoy a long vacation, but since December 2019, an unexpected event put the world in a state of emergency.

Although at the moment the main thing is to act in coherence with what is best for our health and the health of all, it is inevitable to think that the plans of all people in their daily lives have been affected to a greater or lesser extent.

The only thing left to do is wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your face, and avoid traveling to places that currently pose a threat.

In the best of scenarios, I hope a cure is found soon and the coronavirus nightmare ends.