BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 30, 2021: India is currently going through a tough time owning the second wave of the covid-19 which is getting worsened with each passing day. In this time when the healthcare system is immensely under pressure, many celebs and other people coming forward to help people, in any manner they can. ## Actor John Abraham has found a new way to help more people in dealing with the crisis. While he will continue to help at his level, the actor has handed over his social media handles to NGOs to let them reach a wider audience who is seeking covid-19 resources. The actor has 3.2 million followers on Twitter and 8.8 million on Instagram. ## Posting a note on social media, John wrote, "As a country, we are experiencing a very grim situation. With each passing minute, there are more and more people who are unable to procure oxygen, an ICU bed, a vaccine and sometimes even food. However, these trying times have also brought people together, to support, to make a difference and attend to needs". ## "Starting today, I will be handing over my social media accounts to NGOs we have partnered with across the country and all content posted on my handles will be exclusively to help connect those affected with the resources they require. It is time to extend ourselves to humanity and take measures to overcome this crisis". ## "Anything and everything to save lives and win this battle TOGETHER. Stay indoors, stay safe! Be responsible - for yourself, your family, and the country", he concluded.## Anything & everything to save lives and win this battle TOGETHER#CovidIndiaInfo #CovidResources #CovidSOS #CovidHelp #Covid19IndiaHelp #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/mJhABuAeAy— John Abraham (@TheJohnAbraham) April 30, 2021 ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

The captain of the Indian cricket team, Virat Kohli has achieved yet another milestone, this time, however, off the field. The modern-day batting maestro is also one of the most influenced personalities on social media and admired by millions of people around the world. ## The number ODI batsman has become the first Indian to touch 100 million followers on Instagram and on top of it, he is the only Asian and cricketer to reach this landmark. He currently has exactly 100 million followers. ## Virat Kohli is the 4th highest followed sportsperson on Instagram in the world after Cristiano Ronaldo (266 M), Lionel Messi (186 M), and Neymar (147 M), and overall at the 23rd position with the most number of followers. ## Check out top 75 Indian celebraties with most Instgram followers ## In India, Kohli is almost 39 million followers ahead of the second-placed Priyanka Chopra who has almost 61 million followers. Chopra is also the second-highest Asian celebrity to be followed on Instagram. ## Virat Kohli - the first cricket star to hit 100 million followers on Instagram 🎉 pic.twitter.com/HI1hTSbo8M— ICC (@ICC) March 1, 2021 ## Virat Kohli is also the only Indian in 2020 Forbes World's Highest-Paid Athletes list with $26 mn worth. His earnings from endorsement stand at USD 24 million and USD 2 million from salary/winnings. The 31-year-old is also the only cricketer in the top-100 list.## With earnings of USD 25 million, Virat Kohli was ranked 100th in 2019 and 83rd in 2018 with USD 24 million.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

When it comes to social media, there are many people who have made their names for their unique content which has helped them to create a fiercely loyal fan base over the years with their prowess as social media influencers. This year, many of them will cash in on their digital fame to try and carve a career in acting. A couple of such social media influencers have already done so in the past.## Here is a list of social media influencers whose acting debuts deserve attention - ## Prajakta Koli ## Indian YouTube sensation Prajakta Koli is all set to walk into Bollywood with the film Jug Jug Jiyo, which stars Neetu Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Kiara Advani, and Varun Dhawan. The film is directed by Raj Mehta.## "The bar has been set high and I'm keeping my fingers crossed to meet the expectations of everyone around me as best as I can. This is going to be an immense learning experience and lots and lots of fun too," said Prajakta, widely known for her YouTuber alter-ego MostlySane.## View this post on Instagram A post shared by Prajakta Koli (@mostlysane) ## CarryMinati ## Ajey Nagar, popular as CarryMinati on social media, is all set to enter Bollywood with the Amitabh Bachchan-Ajay Devgn starrer, MayDay. He will play a social media sensation which has been his forte. "In the past, I've got offered film roles but I agreed to be a part of this project because I had the opportunity to play myself and bring my alias, Carry Minati alive on the 70 mm screen," CarryMinati had said while talking about his acting debut. ## The film also stars Rakul Preet Singh, Angira Dhar, and Aakanksha Singh, and is slated to release on April 29, 2022.## View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝑨𝒋𝒆𝒚 𝑵𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒓 (@carryminati) ## Shirley Setia ## Shirley Setia, who is a social media sensation and singer, will make her Bollywood debut with "Nikamma", which also stars Abhimanyu Dassani. Another highlight of "Nikamma" is that the film marks Shilpa Shetty's comeback on the big screen after a hiatus of 13 years. It is directed by Sabbir Khan.## View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shirley (@shirleysetia) ## Dolly Singh ## Influencer and actor Dolly Singh recently made her acting debut with the comedy series "Bhaag Beanie Bhaag". She was seen as the best friend of the main protagonist, essayed by Swara Bhasker. Her performance was lauded and is expected to return in the second season of the web show.## View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dolly Singh (@dollysingh) ## Harsh Beniwal ## Harsh, who is a YouTube sensation, made his Bollywood debut with "Student Of The Year 2". He shot to fame with his videos on Dubsmash that went viral in 2015. Later, he started creating comedy vines and garnered a huge social media following. He was also seen in a web show "Who's Your Daddy?".## View this post on Instagram A post shared by Harsh RANDOM Beniwal (@harshbeniwal) ## Sahil Khattar ## Sahil began his journey as a radio jockey before getting noticed through his YouTube videos for Being India. After hosting several gigs, he will be making his Bollywood debut in Ranveer Singh-starrer "83". Sahil will be seen in the role of wicket-keeper Syed Kirmani in the film, which also stars Saqib Saleem, Pankaj Tripathi, Boman Irani, Harrdy Sandhu, Ammy Virk, Jiiva, Chirag Patil, and Adinath Kothare in key roles, along with Deepika Padukone as Kapil's wife Romi Dev.## View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sahil Khattar (@sahilkhattar) ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon and her daughter Rasha have joined the "Sadda Kutta Kutta" viral meme, which also features their two pet dogs.## Raveena posted a video on Instagram, where Raveena and daughter are seen grooving along with their pet dogs on the latest viral song "Sadda Kutta Kutta", made by a social media sensation, Yashraj Mukhate using "Bigg Boss 13" contestant Shehnaaz's lines "Mere koi feelings nahi hai, Tuada Kutta Tommy, Saada Kutta Kutta".## Raveena, who is seen twinning with her daughter in a red outfit, captioned the quirky video, "loved this @yashrajmukhate @shehnaazgill! You both are totally terrific! Haven't wanted to rock to a dhol beat as much as when I saw this play out!". ## Yashraj Mukhate dropped a comment after seeing the actress dancing on his viral number. He wrote, And the day is madeee".## View this post on Instagram A post shared by Raveena Tandon (@officialraveenatandon) ## This is not the first time Mukhate has given a quirky spin to a dialogue or a line. He gained fandom after he converted the dialogue "Rasode mein kaun tha" from a television show 'Saath Nibhaana Saathiyaa' into a musical rap.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Shehnaaz Kaur Gill is trending again on social media and this time, her fans stating reasons for loving her and have made this trend in the admiration of the "Punjab Ki Katrina Kaif" turned into "India Ki Shehnaaz Gill". It is not the first time when the ex Bigg Boss contestant is ruling the social media. She has been trending often ever since she stepped out of Bigg Boss season 13. ## Now, the trend, #ILoveShehnaazBcoz is all about what she has gained in the last one year or so. Shehnaaz has also made sure her fans do get something to stan her. Be it her social media posts, music videos, or some other stuff, she has been doing this all the time to make her presence feel. ## Do listen what Shehnaaz herself has to say about the trend and why she loves herself - ## 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/0a4amQHZSM— Arjun Kanungo (@arjun_kanungo) October 18, 2020 ## Do check some other tweets regarding the trend - ## After listening to this all I could remember is "Salo friend he voh mera, asim Sidharth Shukla pe kesa gaya" "isne mere frnd ko bola ______ padh raha he, meko yaha lagi thi voh baat yaha ❤"All these was said in his ABSENCE too... N #ILoveShehnaazBcoz of this... https://t.co/AWT1UIPChD— SHIVANI~~(SIDHARTH)🖤🌈🔥 (@DarkesttttStorm) October 18, 2020 ## #ILoveShehnaazBcoz she is a pure soul, She is a God child who spreads positivity ... She is beautiful from inside as well as outside. I love her alot kyunki ye Woh jiske Khush hone se main bahut Khush Hoti aur dukhi hone par bahut dukhi. @ishehnaaz_gill 😘— Shreya (@juhi1221) October 18, 2020 ## She lives fearlessly. She has a huge amount of talent. She mesmerizes us whenever she appears on our screen. She knows how hard life can be but She still finds the strength to not give up. She loves like no one does. For all this and so much more I love her. #ILoveShehnaazBcoz— SidNaaz FC (@OfficialSidNaaz) October 18, 2020 ## Shehnaz is the most purest soul . I really enjoy whatever she does . She is the best person I have ever seen . Shehnaz is the most prettiest girl. We love you girl ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ @shehnazshines #ILoveShehnaazBcoz— Junaid Ahmed Siddique (@basicallyjunaid) October 18, 2020 ## #ILoveShehnaazBcoz the name Shehnaaz Gill itself is enough🤗 u are so bold, honest, strong, cute and beautiful. ur so real when u smile we automatically smile😍 when u cry we cry...🥺😭😭 such a pure angel we are here for you princess love you always!!🥺😘💖💖 @ishehnaaz_gill pic.twitter.com/mLrcjRIzPQ— Sidharth & Shehnaaz FC (@Sara_Sidnaazian) October 18, 2020 ## #ILoveShehnaazBcozShe’s humble.She embraces her weakness and allow it become her strengths.— Teajay🍁Shehnaazian🍁 (@TorontoTeejay) October 18, 2020 ## #ILoveShehnaazBcozI love you because you understand, dearEvery single thing I try to doYou're always there to lend a helping hand, dearI love you most of all because you're you— Ravi Rana (@raviranabjp) October 18, 2020 ## #ILoveShehnaazBcoz she taught me how to remain silent and never complain, even in the face of extreme biasedness and ill-treatment. That is what wins hearts, that is what Shehnaaz is!@ishehnaaz_gill ❤️— Parminder Singh (@parminder1397) October 18, 2020 ## She lives fearlessly. She has a huge amount of talent. She mesmerizes us whenever she appears on our screen. She knows how hard life can be but She still finds the strength to not give up. She loves like no one does. For all this and so much more I love her. #ILoveShehnaazBcoz pic.twitter.com/3uriQqx96l— . (@JaanNisarHai) October 18, 2020 ## Meanwhile, Shehnaaz will soon be seen in Colors' new show, "Shaandar Ravivaar" in which she will be back to singing as well as dancing. She is also doing a music video with Arjun Kanungo which will release in November. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Shehnaaz Kaur Gill, an actor, and singer from Punjab became a household name with Bigg Boss 13 stint in which her fun and vivacious personality won millions of hearts and she ended up finishing in the top three. Even after Bigg Boss 13, Shehnaaz continued to be the news and favorites of many for many good reasons. ## However, among all the negativity on social media, Shehnaaz Gill has urged her fans not to abuse anyone and spread positivity. Some people have been abusing Shehnaaz on social media for some unknown reasons and that had forced Shehnaaz to turn off the comment section. ## Despite all this, Shehnaaz wants her fans, called "Shehnaazians", to respect everyone. "Don’t judge anyone wrong 🙏🏻main sabko toh nhi bol sakhti but i trust #shehnaazians if u respect me don’t judge anyone .jo bhi koi galat bole kisi ke baare main tum nhi bologe 🥰i bub ju hai na ???", Shehnaaz wrote on Instagram and shared a video without sound. ## View this post on Instagram ❤️❤️ A post shared by Shehnaaz Gill (@shehnaazgill) on Oct 10, 2020 at 2:25am PDT ## With Bigg Boss season 14 has already begun, fans are missing Shehnaaz Gill's entertaining antics on in the house and have been making her trend on Twitter ever since the show returned to the small screen. However, in a new video shared by a fan club, she revealed that she will come back only on one condition.## During her Instagram live, Shehnaaz said that, "Mera khatam ho gaya. Kyun jaaun main dobara? Mujhe kya zaroorat hai Bigg Boss mein aane ki? Mereko toh sab kuch mil gaya, jo mujhe chahiye tha. Ab toh main agar gayi toh as a guest jaugi like ‘hello, hi, okay, bye.’ (I finished Bigg Boss. Why should I go on the show again? What is the need for it? If I have to go in the Bigg Boss house, I will go as a guest, exchange pleasantries and leave)".## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Bigg Boss 13 second runner-up, Shehnaaz Kaur Gill has become one of the most loved personalities on social media and on TV. The actress has been able to gain a truly loyal fan base that is living no stone unturned to shower love upon her. Shehnaaz also takes special care and makes sure her fans don't get disappointed. ## With the COVID-19 pandemic is still on, the young actress is worried about her fans and people who don't wear masks and maintain social distance. To make them aware, Shehnaaz has requested them to follow the protocols and stay safe. ## She took to her official Twitter handle and wrote, "Dear fans and tweeples, the virus is still out there. I urge each and everyone to wear mask properly and maintain safe distance. Please follow the protocols".## Dear fans and tweeples, the virus is still out there. I urge each and everyone to wear mask properly and maintain safe distance. Please follow the protocols.— Shehnaaz Gill (@ishehnaaz_gill) September 6, 2020 ## Recently, the Punjabi actress opened her account and emerged as one of the most desirable women on TV. She ranked 13 in the list of Times most desirable list which was topped by Hina Khan. ## Apart from this, Shehnaaz Gill was recently seen in the music video "Kurta Pajama" with Tony Kakkar who also sung the song. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Bigg Boss 13 winner Sidharth Shukla is doing a noble cause and has come out to support of an acid attack survivor named Saraswati. In his recent Instagram story, the actor lends his support to Saraswati and also requested people to raise funds for her treatment. ## "Let's Support Saraswati – An acid Attack Survivor. Saraswati's drunkard husband poured acid on her while she was sleeping, she was badly burnt with acid. After that incident, she is facing economic issues. After pouring acid on Saraswati, he committed suicide", Sidharth wrote in his story.## "Now the burnt Saraswati is battling for her treatment and her livelihood. Her two minor children are dependent on her. She has no support. Saraswati was given medical treatment at a government hospital, she stayed there for five months but still her treatment for nose, ears, and surgeries are pending. She has no source of income, We need to shift her to New Delhi for her treatment in a private hospital".## "She needs major surgeries, nose, and ear treatment. We need to treat and rehabilitate her so that after recovery she be able to support her two minor children. The Laxmi Foundation humbly request you all to extend help in this effort of rehabilitating Saraswati. @thelaxmiagarwal", the actor added. ## In his Insta story, Sidharth Shukla mentioned Laxmi Agarwal who is an acid attack survivor, a campaigner for rights of acid attack victims, and a TV host. Sidharth was inspired by her and got emotional when she made a guest appearance during one of the weekend ka vaar episodes of Bigg Boss 13.## Sidharth Shukla had also helped one of his fans whose father tested positive for the covid-19. He had helped his fan and arranged a bed for her father in Brahma Kumari hospital of Andheri of Mumbai. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Congratulations are in order as team India captain Virat Kohli and his wife Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma are all set to welcome their first child. Virat Kohli who is currently in the UAE for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League, Announced the arrival of their bundle of joy on social media. ## Taking to Instagram, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma shared the same post with a picture featuring both of them in which Anushka Sharma flaunting her baby bump while Virat standing behind her with a smile on his face.## They captioned the post, "And then, we were three! Arriving Jan 2021".## View this post on Instagram And then, we were three! Arriving Jan 2021 ❤️🙏 A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) on Aug 26, 2020 at 10:32pm PDT ## News of announcing the arrival of a baby is not the only reason for Virat Kohli to celebrate. Being the cricketer and one of the most loved personalities, Virat Kohli's ever-growing fan following on social media has been unstoppable from the last couple of years. ## Virat who has already the highest number of followers on Instagram among the Indians has now added another feather in his cap. The RCB skipper has become the first Asian celebrity on Instagram to touch 75 million followers mark. Currently, Virat has 76 million followers on the photo-sharing site. ## Virat Kohli's fan following has only kept on increasing despite not stepping foot on the cricket field since March due to COVID-19. The testament of his popularity can be judged from the fact that the Team India skipper is one of the most renowned sports personalities across the world due to his increasing fan following on various social media platforms. ## Top 10 Most-Followed Instagram Handle in India## Recently, the Indian skipper achieved a new milestone when he overtook NBA and Los Angeles Lakers star, LeBron James, in terms of popularity on social media. The RCB captain crossed the 70 million mark on Instagram, while LeBron James, had about 69 million followers on the social media platform. By reaching the 70 million mark, Virat Kohli made history by becoming the first Indian to touch that figure. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Social media platform, Twitter has become a place where celebrities get trolled for their tweets or comments. Trollers have increased in recent times which forced some of the celebrities to turn off their comments section just to avoid negative comments. ## Singer-composer Amaal Mallik engaged in a Twitter battle with fans of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan on Monday (August 24) afternoon. After being bullied and trolled by fans of the superstar, Amaal declared on his verified account that while he respects Salman Khan for launching him, he will not tolerate negative behavior from his fans, who he refers to as Bhaitards.## Aaj duniya ko dikh gaya what is the aukaad of these uneducated #Bhaitards 🤣It all started with me saying #Srk is my fav actor, and these idiots went crazy.I respect #SalmanKhan for the launch he gave me, but that doesn’t mean I will take shit from his fans or any one ✌🏻💯 pic.twitter.com/MSWs1h9uTM— Amaal Mallik (@AmaalMallik) August 24, 2020 ## It all started with a user tagging Amaal Mallik in a tweet and wrote: "@AmaalMallik bhai be Safe...Bhai is on the way." The tweet carried a picture of Salman Khan driving a car.## Amaal replied jokingly: "Bhai is in Panvel, I'm sure he will call before coming."## An another user tweeted: "Bhai @AmaalMallik na toh me salman ka fan hun na shaurkh ka ..you are celeb i know not a big one (you try to become big by these trendings) but Maintain some dignity".## To which the singer replied: "Tried but after my mother, and female fans were abused I couldn’t help but misbehave". ## Another Salman Khan targeted Amaal by sharing some of his old tweets which were letter deleted by the singer, the user wrote: "This music composer #AmaalMallik deleted these tweets later on and these tweets show his thinking is really cheap and disgusting! Seeing these tweets from a popular celebrity like @AmaalMallik is shameful! He must be arrested by police!".## Reacting to the tweet, Amaal wrote: "You idiots only reported it lol".## Expressing support for Amaal, a user shared that he doesn't have to worry because he has talent and nobody can finish the career of a talented person.## To this, the singer replied: "Nahi Nahi, Yaha Talented Logon Ka Hi Career Khatam Hota hain, Par Chalega, Bollywood mein chaatke kaam nahi karna, na kabhi kiya hain na karenge (No no, talented people are the ones careers are finished here. But it's okay, I will never practice flattery to get work in Bollywood, I have never done that, nor will do so in future)"## A user reacting on the singer's replies to Salman fans, wrote: "@AmaalMallik amal bhai why are you doing like these, you are good music composer. Salman Khan will always support you".## Amaal replied: "Yeah but his fans needed a lesson".## As a result of Amaal's Twitter battle with Salman's fans, his name trended on Twitter throughout Monday. However, he received support from the fans of another superstar, Shah Rukh Khan.## "#AmaalMallik hammered Salman Fans and he is trending on Twitter. While Bhaitards couldn't even trend against him. This has to be one of the brutal defeats on Twitter. One Man and An SRKian. Well Done @AmaalMallik !!," tweeted an SRK fan extending support to Amaal.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana starrer 'Gulabo Sitabo' has finally been dropped to entertain the viewers all over again after the months of gap. To begin the new trend, the film premiered on Amazon Prime Video on June 12 with a lot of hope and expectations. ## Gulabo Sitabo is getting mixed reviews. While Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana have impressed the viewers yet again, netizens feel that Juhi Chaturvedi has missed some points while penning the script. Shoojit Sircar has done a wonderful job as a director with an average script. ## Also read - Gulabo Sitabo set for massive release with subtitles in 15 languages ## Check out the Twitter reaction on the movie - ## Taran Adarsh, a renowned movie critic, however, has had a positive impact of the movie and hence, he gave 3.5 stars to this quirky comedy-drama film.## #OneWordReview...#GulaboSitabo: WONDERFUL.Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½#ShoojitSircar gets it right yet again... Effective writing - garnished with wicked humour - is its USP... Unforeseeable finale a big plus... #BigB, #Ayushmann in super form... Worth watching! #GulaboSitaboReviewr pic.twitter.com/pEwealXN8H— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) June 11, 2020 ## #GulaboSitabo Rating- ⭐️🌟FIASCO - Weakest film of Ayushman & Shoojit Sircar careers. Film is immensely slow & boring. Junky script & ludicrous screenplay makes it a long humdrum watch. Amit ji Act is the only saving grace. CATASTROPHIC disappointment.#GulaboSitaboreview— Sumit kadel (@SumitkadeI) June 11, 2020 ## #GulaboSitabo 1*/5 Saridon Required, terrible writing, miserable execution, and slow pace makes it a boring film, foggy vision of director plays the biggest spoiler, it is Shoojit Sarkar weakest film ever, both Ayushman and Amit ji performance is just basic. #GulaboSitaboReview— Rohitt Jaiswal (@rohitjswl01) June 11, 2020 ## #GulaboSitabo #GulaboSitaboOnPrime #GulaboSitaboreview , a new normal for cinema viewing, a new approach , new strategy, perspective. @SrBachchan @ayushmannk a new narrative commences today . Perhaps a balance between the old & new under the new normal. Cinema viewing will change— Chaitanya Prasad (@Chatty111Prasad) June 12, 2020 ## #FinalVerdict: DELIGHTFULRating:⭐️⭐️⭐️#GulaboSitaboReview: #GulaboSitabo, deftly executed and brought to life by director @ShoojitSircar, is a splendidly original film that delivers an indelibly unique movie experience. This is the kind of entertainers #Bollywood must aim at. pic.twitter.com/Ft0zZKISsK— Somesh Sinha (@SinhaSomesh) June 11, 2020 ## Had big expectations from this movie.. started strong.. nuanced characters.. on point language , visuals and acting but the story failed us..2 hours felt too long.. was looking for more.. it got boring and repetitive.. #GulaboSitaboreview— Neha Gupta Srivastav (@andnehagupta) June 11, 2020 ## Very boring movie,#GulaboSitaboreview. Ayushman is looking dull in this movie. His energy level and awesomeness are missing. Thanks for releasing in ott and saving my money. It would be a disaster if released in theatres. The story itself weak and slow screenplay. #GulaboSitabo pic.twitter.com/8SHTLVjTtu— AnishKumar Agarwal (@AnIsH_261290) June 11, 2020 ## #GulaboSitabo slow and so boring that u wont be able to jhelo this even free. Only true movie lovers can bear this pain. Bakwaas#GulaboSitaboReview— Jatin Bhutani (@JatinRaja) June 11, 2020 ## #GulaboSitaboreviewShoojit Sircar's films like an ointment for a wound which results comes slowly As for Gulabo Sitabo it depends on the comedy situation which created by the mood of film and the darkness of the life that you will live with all credibility.3.5/5#GulaboSitabo pic.twitter.com/uuNDSpFG3T— hamad al reyami (@ReyamiHamad) June 11, 2020 ## A comedy drama that falls into ruins due to its pace, and lack of jokes, #GulaboSitabo comes alive in its final act...#GulaboSitaboreview— Snehith Kumbla (@moviesneh) June 12, 2020 ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

New York, April 27 (IANS) Joining the growing body of evidence for social media being the primary source of fake news around coronavirus, a new study has found that people who relied on social media or conservative news outlets in early days of the COVID-19 outbreak were more likely to be misinformed about how to prevent the virus and believe conspiracy theories about it.## The Annenberg Science Knowledge (ASK) survey on COVID-19 was conducted in early March, among a nationally representative sample of 1,008 US adults, the researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the US said.## The study, published in the journal Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review, found that there were notable differences in views about the coronavirus that correlated with people's media consumption.## According to the researchers, conservative media usage (such as Fox News and Rush Limbaugh) correlated with higher levels of misinformation and belief in conspiracies about the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.## The survey found that more than 23 percent people thought it was probably or definitely true that the Chinese had created the virus as a bioweapon (there is no evidence of this).## More than 21 percent of participants thought taking vitamin C can probably or definitely prevent infection by the coronavirus (it does not).## Social media and web aggregator usage was associated with lower levels of information and higher levels of misinformation, the researchers added.## People who used social media (such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) were more likely to believe that taking vitamin C can prevent infection with the coronavirus; that some in the CDC were exaggerating the threat to harm the president and that the virus was created by the US government.## People who used web aggregators (such as Google News, Yahoo News) were less likely to believe in the effectiveness of handwashing and avoidance of symptomatic individuals as ways to prevent transmission of the virus (in early March, the asymptomatic transmission was less clear).## Mainstream broadcast and print media usage correlated with higher levels of the correct information and lower levels of misinformation, the study said.## People who reported using broadcast news (such as ABC News, CBS News, NBC News) were more likely to say, correctly, that the novel coronavirus is more lethal than the seasonal flu, it added.## People who consume mainstream print news (such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal) were more likely to hold accurate beliefs about the virus.## They were more likely to report that they believe that regular hand washing and avoiding contact with symptomatic people are ways to prevent infection with the coronavirus; and less likely to believe that vitamin C can prevent infection.## "Because both information and misinformation can affect behavior, we all ought to be doing our part not only to increase essential knowledge about SARS-CoV-2, but also to interdict the spread of deceptions about its origins, prevention, and effects," said study co-author Kathleen Hall Jamieson.## Stay tuned...