Fact: There’s a lot of news on the internet about the coronavirus disease or COVID-19, and it’s easy to get lost in the noise. Social media is a blackhole for fake news, especially when images can be manipulated, trusted sources can be misquoted, and old stories can resurface and be taken out of context. So how do you differentiate fact from fiction? We list down the websites you should trust and bookmark, so you can stay informed and stop spreading fake news.
1. World Health Organization (WHO)
Bookmark this: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
The World Health Organization has a dedicated dashboard for all COVID-19 updates, including a tally of confirmed global cases, deaths, and territories most affected by the pandemic. Don’t get intimidated by the wealth of information here, WHO has special sections on frequently asked questions and debunked myths—both equally helpful if you need bite-sized information you can quote from.
2. The Department of Health (DOH)
Bookmark this: https://www.doh.gov.ph/2019-nCoV
DOH has put together an expansive local COVID-19 tracker that shows the number of individuals tested at certain public hospitals and health centers. There’s also a breakdown of the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), beds, and mechanical ventilators in different hospitals across the Philippines. The numbers can be overwhelming, so head on to the department’s infographics page for content you can easily understand and share.
3. COVID-19 Facts
Bookmark this: https://www.covid-19facts.com/?page_id=82933
The Reckitt Benckiser-sponsored website aims to dispel fear about the pandemic—curating information from WHO, the John Hopkins School of Public Health, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, among others.
4. The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM)
Bookmark this: https://www.facebook.com/RITMPH/
The health research facility has been in charge of the country’s COVID-19 testing since the get go. While their website is regularly updated with their press releases, their Facebook page has a lot of useful infographics explaining how they conduct their research and testing, minus the complicated jargon.
5. BBC World Coronavirus Global Update
Bookmark this: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xtv39/episodes/downloads
The British Broadcast Corporation (BBC) has launched a COVID-19 podcast, which you can listen to on their website or download for free—perfect for parents who want to listen to news on the go. Each episode is about five minutes long, and has a good mix of health, economic, and business updates from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
6. Summit Media’s COVID-19 Website
Bookmark this: https://www.spot.ph/tag/covid-19
Summit Media has a page that pools all COVID-19 stories across their titles like Cosmo, Spot, Candy, Esquire, TopGear, Smart Parenting, Female Network, Spin, Yummy, and PEP. It’s a good resource if you’re looking for a media site that doesn’t just cover hard news. Plus, there’s an option to subscribe to their COVID-19 newsletter, which delivers stories straight to your inbox.
7. The Optimist
Bookmark this: https://www.gatesfoundation.org/TheOptimist
Initially, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation created The Optimist to gather medical and health experts from around the world as they share their general research and best practices. These days, the website has evolved to address COVID-19 issues, and has a lot of interesting reads on the future of self-administered testing and how American children are coping with school at home.
8. Oxford University Press (OUP)
Bookmark this: https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/coronavirus?cc=us&lang=en&
The British publisher has given the public access to its COVID-19 journals for free, helping medical professionals, researchers, and policy makers deal with the pandemic better. OUP has also pooled together its online resources, like the Oxford English Dictionary and the Concise Medical Dictionary, to help define scientific terminologies and their use, in case you need help explaining those to your kids.
9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Bookmark this: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
There’s a whole section here on how you can best protect yourself from COVID-19—including practical tips on how to wash cloth face masks, proper social distancing, plus, what to do if you’re sick or are caring for someone with the virus.
Of course, these are but some of the many reliable resources you can check online. It helps to scour the local and international news sites, which are updated as the story unfolds. Remember: Always check the source if it’s from a reputable publisher. It also pays to do a quick Google search to see if other news sites have been talking about the story, too!
