ISLAMABAD, Jan. 31 (INP): At the critical time when the best efforts are afoot to defeat Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), speculations and panic have gone on a rampage, emerging as more formidable threats than its breakneck sprawl and fatality rate around the world, including Pakistan, says a report carried by Gwadar Pro App on Friday.

With declaration of global health emergency against the Coronavirus, the world is in dire need to quell series of mythical rumors and panic reigning worldwide. Principally speaking, it is the dissemination of prank information that plays havoc.

Fourth, in Pakistan and globally, video of bat soup set the internet ablaze. The video clip displaying a woman’s eating bat gave rise to theory that coronavirus reached humans due to the eating habits of the Chinese. Later it is proved that video was filed in Palau in western Pacific Ocean instead of Wuhan three years ago.

Fifth, one rumor that gripped the stranded foreigners including Pakistanis was that China had been using dilly-dally tactics to allow countries to fly their citizen to their homelands.

Sixth, tendency of Coronavirus as airborne disease was another rumor that freaked out already panic-stricken students. They had to lock down their windows and did not dare going out of their hostel rooms even in their universities’ vicinities for many days, scaring to contract virus through air. Later information came that it was just a hoax. Looking into Pakistani students’ case, it comes to light that creepy panic is the outcome of rampant speculations. Although there might be many challenges about smooth flow of food supplies, availability of money after banks’ closure, evacuation possibilities, delivery of masks and medical aids in some areas, but prank information and lack of clarity on future course of action have been adding fuel to fire of the situation. Some students also doubted the authenticity of statement of Pakistani authorities. They observed that Pakistani authorities downplayed the numbers of students studying in Wuhan and Hubei Province. Official figures in this regard were quoted around 500 students with 4 confirmed cases. But as per many students there might be more than 2000 students, and only one student was confirmed and rest of others three were just suspected cases.

Both Chinese and Pakistani authorities have been working jointly to help Pakistani students who are numbered more than 500 in Wuhan and Hubei Province.

Muhammad Asad, who graduated from Wuhan University and now working in private company in Wuhan was of the view that Pakistan did not have best medical facilities against Coronavirus, and during the dengue fever outbreak last time, situation was out of control. “If students are evacuated and in case anyone carries the virus to Pakistan, it will be, then, worst scenario,” he added.

INP/javed