Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1216530
14 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 MARCH 2020 NEWS MATTHEW VELLA THE administrator of a Maltese Face- book group sharing updates on the Cov- id-19 coronavirus influenza, has been ac- cused of ruthlessly exploiting people by promoting the sale of face masks at €160 for a pack of five. William Hawk – whose name on LinkedIn is Alexander Bodrovich – set up the CoronaVirus Mal- ta EU - Updates (Wil- liam Hawk) group on Facebook on 30 Jan- uary, in which Hawk poses as a conspira- cy theorist taking on mainstream medical opinion on the coro- navirus flu. But critics on Facebook have accused Hawk of peddling medical claims from questionable sources, and attempting to profit from gullible individuals. Yesterday Hawk claimed health officials on Friday night's edition of Xarabank were lying about claims that the Cov- id-19 virus cannot spread if the infect- ed person doesn't show any symptoms. "Over the last months, we have witnessed many cases of asymptomatic spreaders, and some were even super-spreaders… I don't know for how much longer they plan on keeping this misinformation campaign running, but people – please be careful," Hawk said, accusing his crit- ics of being "hired trolls". He previously claimed "tens of millions must be infected by now, given the esti- mate rate of spread." Hawk is also the admin of two other groups called Preppers Malta EU and Pandemic Preppers Malta EU, created this week, the latter formerly called 'Jobs in Europe'. "As with other groups on Facebook, this has turned in- to an echo chamber for misinformation regarding corona- virus. Genuinely concerned people join the group for information but are met with a barrage of misleading (and sometimes fake) statistics that only ex- acerbate their fears," said one Facebook user who wrote an excoriating post on Hawk. "Is this what led to Tuesday's rush on the supermarkets? One can on- ly speculate." Hawk has since then posted the link to the website www.viruscontrol.eu on his Facebook groups, where he sells ex- pensive facemasks to be paid only with "cash on delivery". The website was reg- istered on 22 February. He also sells Russian military gas masks on Maltapark.com. On his LinkedIn profile, 'Hawk' or Alexander Bodrovich says he is the founder of V Messenger, a blockchain messenger service. He also claims to be a fundraiser for the Lift Us Up NGO, which has volunteers in Nepal and the Philippines who work with charities there. Blockchain entrepreneur peddles €160 facemasks on Facebook coronavirus group William Hawk – whose name on LinkedIn is Alexander Bodrovich – set up the CoronaVirus Malta EU - Updates (William Hawk) group on Facebook on 30 January, in which Hawk takes on mainstream medical opinion on the coronavirus flu What is Covid-19? Covid-19 is caused by a member of the coronavi- rus family that has never been encountered before and – like other corona- viruses – it originated in animals. Many of those initially infected either worked or frequented the seafood wholesale market in the centre of the Chinese city of Hua- nan. What are the symp- toms this coronavi- rus causes? The virus can cause pneumonia and patients can suf- fer coughs, fever and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, there can be organ failure. Since Covid-19 is a viral pneu- monia, antibiotics are of no use. At the same time, antiviral drugs currently available against flu do not work on Covid-19. Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system and many of those who died were already in prior poor health. What is Malta current- ly doing to combat the coronavirus? So far, no coronavirus cases have been record- ed in Malta, with 22 sus- pected cases yielding a negative test result. Mater Dei Hospi- tal CEO Celia Falzon said the hospital was well-prepared to deal with any cases that may crop up and preparations were under way to wid- en the training to staff members in all wards in the eventuality of an out- break. Superintendent for Public Health Charmaine Gauci said advice issued for people who had trav- elled to hotspot areas to self-quarantine applied only to the travellers. As of last week, Mal- ta also started thermal scanning all inbound passengers arriving Mal- ta in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country. What has the reaction in Malta been? There has been wide- spread p a n - ic on Facebook over the spread of coronavirus, with local Facebook groups featuring people concerned over the in- fection popping up. These include groups such as coro- n a v i r u s W a r n i n g W a t c h M a l t a EU, which has 1,712 m e m b e r s , with many quick to voice their fears and their opin- ions. Misinformed posts eventually led to people posting their experiences in major supermarkets across the country with the panic causing people to stockpile on non-per- ishables and other food- stuffs. Many people were ask- ing where one could purchase face masks as others reported that most pharmacies had run out of stock. Some face masks in question were particulate matter masks and not necessar- ily meant to prevent in- fection. In view of basic face masks apparently being out of stock, a controver- sial Maltese website went online in recent days selling N95 protective gear. The website claims to be the site for "Mal- ta's supply of N95 and other protective equip- ment against coronavi- rus". There are currently multiple types of masks, gloves, and eye protec- tion for sale, ranging in price from an exorbi- tant €42 to €160. How have the workers' unions reacted? The Malta Union of Teachers directed its members not to accept any homework from stu- dents who were unwell, in light of the spread of coronavirus in Europe. In a series of instruc- tions issued on Tuesday, the union also r e q u e s t - ed that m a s s i n d o o r g a t h - e r i n g s at sch- o o l s , such as as- semblies and Mass, should be halted, and that students and teachers who visited countries affected by the virus should stay home. The Maltese Associa- tion of Parents of State Schools Students has appealed for a strict ad- herence to the education and health ministries' di- rectives on the coronavi- rus epidemic. It said that children who had visited China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, South Ko- rea, Iran and the North of Italy should self-quar- antine for 14 days. Coronavirus Beyond social media scare