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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)
It has become a classic. Every virus or health alert has its share of false information fueled by fear. Let’s take stock of these fake news stories that spread faster than the mpox itself, with our medical director, Dr. Gérald Kierzek.
Beware of fake news! Since the global alert triggered by the WHO a week ago about mpox (formerly called monkey pox), crazy and conspiracy theories have been developing, as with every health news, on the networks. To the point of creating a little more panic. Here are 5 ideas seen on the web, totally false according to our medical director.
There is a link between mpox and COVID-19 vaccines. False.
For many Internet users, the link is obvious: the mpox virus would be an ingredient in vaccines like that of AstraZeneca.”This conspiracy theory is completely unfounded, because the adenovirus used in these vaccines is different from the mpox virus and has no connection with it. Monkeypox also predates COVID vaccines with ancient African endemic foci…” replies Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of Doctissimo.
MPOX would be used to justify a new lockdown. False.
For the most suspicious, the disease would be exploited worldwide to control the population…”This is of course a conspiracy theory that seeks to arouse unfounded fear,” “emphasizes our expert.”Let us also remember that fear is useless and a bad advisor in the event of an epidemic. No, mpox is not the new COVID as the WHO reminds us. The risk of an epidemic is also very low in Europe…
There are many hidden cases in France. Lie.
Videos are circulating on social media claiming to show cases of COPD in France, when in reality they are taken out of context or staged. Among them, for example, a viral video showed a man with a rash, but it was a first aid demonstration and not a real case of COPD.
The only cases do not concern the current and recent strain but in 2022 during the previous epidemic, quickly controlled.
MPOX is spread through sewage. Unfounded.
Alert in the United States. Claims that mpox has been detected in the wastewater of certain cities, such as San Francisco, have also been circulating. But here again, no rigor is required and these allegations are broadcast to scare people (or to get views).These allegations are based on old videos and do not correspond to recent data,” he said.confirms our expert.
Mpox is supposedly made in a lab. False and boring.
And here is the return of the virus created to do evil! According to Internet users, the mpox would have been manufactured in a laboratory and would have been propagated intentionally, a story that comes back and adapts to each new virus. “These theories, which fuel distrust in health authorities and governments, have no scientific basis and contribute to misinformation. Viruses have localized natural reservoirs. The novelty here comes from the extension of these outbreaks…”, recalls Dr. Kierzek.
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