Mumbai college students in the city have resorted to several measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus and clear misconceptions related to it. The University of Mumbai (MU) affiliated college students have come to the rescue of citizens to combat fake news on social media.

The volunteers of National Service Scheme (NSS) from different colleges have been conducting awareness drives in societies. In the past few days, the students of a Bandra college made several phone calls and appealed to at least 3,000 families around their college to follow safety protocols and remain indoors.

Vijender Shekhawat, one of the NSS coordinators said, “The situation is getting scarier, especially for the elderly, who are unsure about whom to believe. So we are providing them with data and information from government-officiated websites to prevent them from believing in fake news and information.”

Students of another college have created alcohol-based hand sanitisers for the non-faculty staff of their institute, which were distributed for free. They have also explained the importance of maintaining hygiene to prevent attracting the virus.

Jaspreet Kapoor, president of Indian Medical Association’s Medical Students Network (IMA-MSN), “As we are not doctors yet, we are using our knowledge to spread awareness among the public about the virus. We are compiling data from the WHO, UNICEF, ICMR, AIIMS and the central government to create a strong database of evidence-based information that is being provided to the public.”

NSS volunteers from over 139 MU-affiliated colleges have agreed to be a part of this project.

Source: Hindustan Times