Egypt battles COVID-19 amid flood of misinformation, conspiracy theories
As Egypt fights the spread of COVID-19, misinformation and conspiracy theories are making it difficult for Egyptians to distinguish fact from fiction.
When initial reports of the new coronavirus surfaced in Egypt in February, Egyptians responded with denial. The Egyptian media, many internet users and a handful of celebrities dismissed COVID-19 as a hoax and even joked about it.
Asked about the threat from COVID-19, Egyptian film stars attending the opening ceremony of the Luxor African Film Festival mocked the pandemic.
"We eat salted fish and onions, are you joking? What coronavirus are you talking about? The coronavirus will fall ill if it comes to Egypt," joked actress Zena.
"We are Egyptians, nothing scares us," comedian Badria Tolba told reporters. "We are being asked to avoid large gatherings, but we continue to gather; they advise us not to kiss, but we kiss each other all the time."
