With cases of the coronavirus increasing every day, the World Health Organization (WHO) has joined TikTok to spread awareness and fight misinformation about the virus.
One would never imagine that an organization like the WHO would consider having a presence on TikTok – but it’s 2020, and the coronavirus, aka COVID-19, or 2019 Coronavirus Novel is making its appearance around the world and claiming over 3,000 victims so far.
In a bid to fight misinformation about the virus and the outbreak in general, the WHO has taken to the popular video-sharing platform to set the record straight and provide information on preventative measures. Videos cover anything from how to reduce the risk of spreading the virus if you have it, to how to use a mask effectively to avoid getting it.
The videos also explain whether you even need a mask if you are aren’t experiencing symptoms. Hint: You do not.
What might surprise you is that the videos are getting quite a lot of attention. The two videos uploaded currently have over 13 and 20 million views respectively.
@whoWhen & how should masks be worn in order to protect against the new ##coronavirus ?♬ original sound – who
The WHO isn’t the only organization on TikTok, as The Red Cross and Unicef are already active on it. This is important to note as it shows not only how big TikTok is getting, and how much influence it has, but also highlights the threat it poses as a major medium of misinformation.
@whoWe are joining @tiktok to provide you with reliable and timely public health advice! Our first post: How to protect yourself from ##coronavirus ?♬ original sound – who
TikTok itself is working to provide “trusted resources” to its users who are looking for coronavirus-related hashtags, but the WHO’s presence on the platform could help make it more official.
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