With the coronavirus spreading throughout the United States, it’s important Americans are able to separate fact from fiction. Believing every little detail on the internet is not the best idea.

The first and main thing most people understand incorrectly is the virus’s origin; it’s probably the most clouded part about COVID-19.

A popular rumor that was going around was that the virus was created in a Chinese government lab and its purpose was to disperse the erupting protests in Hong Kong only for things to go horribly wrong. However, evidence indicates this is false.

The rumor was a piece of horror fiction that perfectly fit what was unfolding in the world, but that’s all what it was; a piece of fiction.

The rumor originated from r/NoSleep which is a “subreddit” or subsection of Reddit dedicated to this kind of material. Posts on this subreddit are designed to be realistic horror stories..

Another big subject many people get wrong is how the virus spreads and how to prevent it.

During January 2020, there were a few health bulletins and posts being shared around pretty frequently telling readers that drinking water often will help decrease the chances of contracting the virus. The information, however, was unsupported and there is no existing evidence that indicates that what it claims is true.

False information like this is blooming in the current situation with crazy methods of “prevention” such as drinking boiled garlic water, drinking hot water with lemons, gargling with salt water or vinegar, and even breathing hot air from a hair dryer. Again, all of these have no kind of evidence supporting them according to the World Health Organization, National Institute of Health, and many more.

Another part that plays into misinformation sometimes is memes.

It was inevitable; with any big thing comes a fair share of memes and the coronavirus is no different.

Memes may seem a little insensitive or maybe even a little hurtful since it can cause confusion between fact and fiction, but it’s a way to cope and bring people together online and laugh a little. It’s just important that everyone knows when it’s a joke and not to be taken seriously.

It’s vital to stay correctly informed and fact check as much as possible in this kind of situation. A misunderstanding could bring disaster.