WEB DESK
As our society is grappling with an unprecedented crisis due to CoViD-19 global pandemic, misinformation and disinformation have also become prevalent. Enabled by the social media platforms, a new problem “infodemic” has emerged in which the facts, rumours, and fears mix and disperse, and it becomes difficult to find the correct solution.
This prevalence of misleading information can not only create confusion and distrust in society, it can also undermine an effective public health response. The least we could do is to create awareness among people so that they can evaluate the information and their sources using scientific reasoning.
To discuss the aspects of CoViD-19 global pandemic, the Department of Physics of Central University of South Bihar (CUSB) conducted a webinar under the special lecture series. CUSB Public Relation Officer (PRO) Mohammad Mudassir Alam said that the webinar was conducted under the supervision of Prof. Venktesh Singh, Dean, School of Physical and Chemical Sciences. The lecture was attended by more than 70 participants comprising of undergraduate and postgraduate students, PhD students, faculty members and senior professors from all over India, said the PRO.
In its weekly Science Lecture Series (Season-2), webinar Prof. Sunit K. Singh, Head, Molecular Biology Unit of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi spoke on the topic, “ Covid-19: from Pandemic to Infodemic.” Before the webinar, speaker was formally introduced by Prof. Venktesh Singh, the chairman of this Science Lecture Series and the Head of the Physics Department, Central University South Bihar. The speaker expressed his immense pleasure in being a part of this interdisciplinary surrounding where a virologist is addressing a gathering of physicists. He emphasized that such an interdisciplinary collaboration is really the need of the hour because the challenges that our society is facing don’t restrict themselves in any fixed discipline.
The lecture attracted a huge attention. Speaker touched upon several topics namely, the process of host switching by the viruses and the role of intermediate species, infection mechanism of the novel SARS-coronavirus, and modes of spreading of this virus in humans. He also emphasized upon the importance of testing and contact tracing as the most efficient strategy for curbing this pandemic. He elaborated on the various treatment methodologies that are being developed by the researchers for the treatment of this disease. Finally, the speaker advised the participants to stay healthy, and to respect and support the health-workers who are putting their lives on line to combat and control the pandemic.
The talk really piqued the interest of the participants and was followed by a lively Q&A session moderated by Dr. Puneet Mishra of Physics Department, CUSB. Afterwards, the coordinator of this science lecture series Dr. Vijay Raj Singh proposed the vote of thanks to the speaker, to the chairman, to his co-coordinator Dr. B. K. Singh, to all the participants both from CUSB as well as from other universities, and his colleagues from the department. Finally, Prof. Venktesh Singh thanked everyone and announced the next lecture in this ongoing science lecture series. The next will be delivered by Prof. Sajjad Ather, Department of Physics, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, UP on yet another interesting topic, “Chemistry’s Periodic table through the eyes of physicist.”
