This Facebook coronavirus post attributed to Stanford University is false

Facebook post wrongly suggests if you can hold your breath for more than 10 seconds easily you don't have COVID-19

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread so is misinformation about the outbreak.

Social media platforms are trying to battle misinformation but certain fake posts are still circulating on the internet.

If you open Facebook or Twitter you may come across a post with information released by Stanford University, that suggests that if you can hold your breath for more than 10 seconds without any inconvenience then you are probably not infected with the coronavirus.

Furthermore, the post suggests if you keep yourself hydrated by sipping water every 15 minutes, it will remove the virus and prevent it from entering your windpipe and lungs.

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Most of this is false.

“The post is not from Stanford,” Lisa Kim at Stanford Health Care told Mother Jones.

Similar posts in some cases cite “Taiwan experts” or “Japanese doctors,” and many falsely source the information to “STANFORD HOSPITAL BOARD.” Stanford Health Care has debunked that attribution.

Facebook’s Zuckerberg says company considered banning political ads

Facebook said it will take down misinformation about China’s fast-spreading coronavirus, in a rare departure from its usual approach to dubious health content that is presenting a fresh challenge for social media companies.

Moreover, Facebook Inc (FB.O) is providing free advertisements to the World Health Organization (WHO) as it seeks to ensure users are not misinformed about the virus, its risks and how to react to it, Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday.

"We're giving the WHO as many free ads as they need for their coronavirus response along with other in-kind support," Zuckerberg said.

This article originally published on Mother Jones.