The map has been created by Twitter user Mehdi Moussaid and gives an amazing insight into just how quickly fear of the deadly coronavirus has spread compared to the confirmed cases of the disease. In red on one half of the graphic, the number of people infected with the virus over six days are shown. On the other half, the number of tweets using the increasingly popular hashtag #coronavirus are highlighted in green.
The majority of red dots can largely be seen in China on the map, where coronavirus originated from and where it has so far killed more than 400 people.
But the green dots quickly spread across the map of the world in just a matter of days, showing how far panic over the deadly disease has spread.
Social media has been useful to authorities in order to provide accurate and updated information on the deadly virus.
But it has also been used to spread lies and create panic throughout dozens of countries across the world.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is working with web giant Google to ensure searches about coronavirus provide information from the UN health agency first to ensure the true facts are known.
WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the opening of its executive board meeting that social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Tencent and TikTok “have also taken steps to limit the spread of misinformation”.
The health organisation insisted its staff are “working 24 hours a day” to identify the most prevalent rumours.
WHO is continuing to reject several false claims trending on Twitter, such as eating sesame oil or garlic can help prevent and cure coronavirus.
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Social media giants are now joining forces to combat the spread of misinformation around coronavirus.
Twitter has announced it will “adjust search prompt in key countries across the globe to feature authoritative health sources when you search for terms related to novel #coronavirus.”
Last week, Facebook said it would “remove content with false claims or conspiracy theories that have been flagged by leading global health organisations and local health authorities that could cause harm to people who believe them”.
Meanwhile, the 12th known US case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Wisconsin by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the state health agency said in a statement.
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The patient has only so been identified as an adult with a history of travel to China’s capital of Beijing before becoming ill and was exposed to other known cases while in the country, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services said.
No further information about the patient’s condition has been made immediately available.
In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) has ordered hospitals to create “priority assessment pods” to keep suspected coronavirus patients away from the public in A&E.
Professor Keith Willett, NHS strategic incident director, has instructed all hospitals to have the pods up and running no later than Friday.
The letter seen by The Independent, reportedly dated January 31, was sent to hospital bosses throughout England.
In it, Professor Willet, who is leading the NHS’s response to coronavirus, told NHS bosses: “Plans have been developed to avoid a surge in emergency departments due to coronavirus.
“Although the risk level in this country remains moderate, and so far there have been only two confirmed cases, the NHS is putting in place appropriate measures to ensure business as usual services remain unaffected by any further cases or tests of coronavirus.”