A paramedic has described how a patient with symptoms of a heart attack refused treatment after reading on Facebook that she would die if she went to hospital during the Covid-19 crisis.
The account was among hard-hitting testimony given by medics to MPs about the damage misinformation on social media is doing to frontline healthcare.
The doctors called for tougher action on Google, Twitter and Facebook.
All three firms told MPs they were working hard to tackle the problem.
There's a huge amount of misleading information circulating online about coronavirus - from dodgy health tips to speculation about government plans. This is the story of how one post went viral.
The following information was accurate at the time of writing. (19 October 2017)
A purported social media challenge, labelled the ‘48 hour missing challenge’, has been reported on by some media, however the UK Safer Internet Centre is not currently aware of any evidence to directly link disappearances with an online challenge.
Think before you share
There may be a starman waiting in the sky, but sadly it isn't in the celestial form of a new stellar arrangement marking David Bowie's passing.
You've probably seen the reports circulating in the wake of Bowie's death -- the man behind Ziggy Stardust, the original space oddity, and one of the most innovative recording artists of all time is now memorialised with a new constellation.
Use examples like this to show students that we should always check accuracy before sharing.
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