A PUBLIC health expert has said it is “deeply concerning” that leaflets containing Covid-19 conspiracy theories have been delivered door-to-door in Scotland’s capital city.
The Ferret reported that the flyer, featuring no named contact or organisation, calls on people to study three websites which promote misinformation about the virus.
These websites push unproven coronavirus treatments, as well as “fringe views” on the effectiveness of vaccines and public health measures. Two asked readers for money.
READ MORE: Coronavirus in Scotland: Overall death toll passes 10,000
The Edinburgh local who received the flyer through the door told news site: “I thought it looked so professionally produced it must be a professional campaign with some serious money behind it. I expected to be able to see clearly which organisation it was from but I couldn’t.”
“Concerned this is the next campaign of misinformation in the lead up to the May elections. Who is behind it?”
NHS Lothian interim director Katie Dee encouraged people to head to official websites for accurate and verifiable information about the virus. One example is nhsinform.scot.
“Having access to accurate information is vitally important in enabling individuals to make informed decisions about their own health, or the health of people they care for,” she told The Ferret.
“It is therefore deeply concerning that leaflets containing inaccurate information and false claims about Covid-19 are being circulated across parts of Lothian.”
The SNP MP for the area, Tommy Sheppard, described the anonymous leaflet as “very worrying”.
“It undermines confidence and seeks to encourage folk to break the necessary restrictions. Even worse, it is aimed at putting people off getting the vaccine,” he said.
“This will cost lives. There’s no doubt that the vaccines work. The side effects are negligible. The risk is minimal. Get the jab. Get both doses.”
The flyers were sent out during the week Scotland passed the grim 10,000 coronavirus deaths milestone, according to the National Records of Scotland (NRS) and Public Health Scotland.
The NRS publishes all deaths where the virus is mentioned on the death certificate.
Statistics from the NRS show 38 deaths relating to Covid-19 were registered between March 29 and April 4, bringing the total number of fatalities up to Sunday to 9997.
Since then, six deaths have been recorded in the daily figures from Public Health Scotland.
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