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Fact Check: Viral Audio Claiming 59 COVID-19 Cases In Nagpur Is Fake
India, 27 March 2020 10:08 AM GMT | Updated 30 April 2020 11:04 PM GMT
Editor : Bharat Nayak |
As the founding editor, Bharat had been heading the newsroom during the formation years of the organization and worked towards editorial policies, conceptualizing and designing campaign strategies and collaborations. He believes that through the use of digital media, one could engage the millennial's in rational conversations about pertinent social issues, provoking them to think and bring a behavioral change accordingly.
By : Aditi Chattopadhyay
Aditi, part of the fact checking team of The Logical Indian likes to read, write, cook and laugh, in short live life as it is supposed to be. What makes her fascinated is to discover the truth behind a story and more often than not, it is either fact or myth at the end.
The Logical Indian fact check team investigated the claim that there are 59 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Nagpur.
A WhatsApp audio message claiming that there are 59 COVID-19 cases in Nagpur has gone viral. "A doctor in Nagpur has been put on a ventilator. The city alone has 59 cases," says the viral audio clip.
Several of our community members sent us this audio in our WhatsApp number asking for verification.
A Facebook post also made the same claim.
The audio clip which is being widely shared is a conversation between two people insinuating inefficiency of testing labs and claiming that there are three doctors who have Coronavirus of them one, 'Dr Kamlesh' is on the ventilator.
Claim:
There are 59 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Nagpur.
Fact Check:
The claim is false.
As of March 27, 9:15 am, the Union Health Ministry's update states that there are a total of 127 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infections in Maharashtra. Of these, three people have died.
India Today reported that there are 5 coronavirus positive patients in Nagpur and there is no doctor who is on the ventilator. The audio clipping is fake and the government is investigating who made and circulated it.
Reportedly the first case of coronavirus case was confirmed in Nagpur on March 11. Since then, three IT professionals and one woman have tested positive. All of them are admitted and are being treated for coronavirus in the city.
On March 26, one more patient was added to the list but he is not a doctor. The Nagpur Municipal Commissioner Tukaram Munde confirmed that COVID-19 tests are being done at Indira Gandhi Govt Medical College (Meyo Hospital), Nagpur.
"The medical tests are being conducted by expert doctors, so any doubt about the tests is like ridiculing the efforts of dedicated healthcare workers and administration," Munde is quoted as saying.
He added that all the patients are on the road to recovery. According to the Press Information Bureau of the Government of India, the audio is fake.
"An audio clip is circulating on social media claiming that Nagpur has tested 59 positive coronavirus cases including 3 doctors. The assertion made in the audio is fake. Please do not forward such fake audio clips," their tweet reads.
An audio clip is circulating on social media claiming that Nagpur has tested 59 positive coronavirus cases including 3 doctors
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) March 26, 2020
The assertion made in the audio is #FAKE.
Please DO NOT forward such fake audio clips. pic.twitter.com/u29ROXWaf0
On March 24, Times of India had reported that the district administration and Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) had clarified on the issue on Tuesday. A social media post wherein it was claimed that over 50 patients in the city have tested Covid-19 positive were deemed to be "totally false" and "baseless".
"Posting and spreading such misleading and irresponsible posts without any basis is an offence. Those posting such content could be booked under various laws and face imprisonment. The administration would take stern action against such rumour mongers," Divisional commissioner Sanjeev Kumar said warning those spreading such fake clips of stringent action under the relevant acts.
He also cautioned the people not to believe in such posts.
Given the evidence, It can be confirmed as of March 27, there are no 59 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Nagpur.
If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343
Also Read: Fact Check: Can Tea Cure COVID-19? No!
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