ICMR Study Saying Peak of COVID-19 in India Is Shifted to Mid-November? Fact Check by PIB Reveals the Truth Behind Misleading News

New Delhi, June 15: Ever since the outbreak of coronavirus in India, fake news related to COVID-19 are doing rounds in media and social media platforms. At a time when the country is battling the COVID-19 pandemic, fake news is literally travelling faster than the virus itself, triggering panic and chaos in people. In a latest such case, a media report claiming that a study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) suggests that COVID-19 peak in India will be around November, is being widely circulated on social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter. Viral Message Claiming ICMR Will Study Immunity of Indigenous Assamese As Not a Single Case of COVID-19 Found in Them Is Fake.

The claim states:  "As per ICMR, the peak of COVID-19 in India is shifted to mid November when a paucity of ICU beds & ventilators may arise". Taking cognisance of the misleading information regarding the coronavirus peak in India, a fact check by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) dismissed the fake information and said the study which is being attributed to, is not done by ICMR. "The news is misleading.The study to which the report is attributed, is not carried out by ICMR & doesn't reflect the authentic information", the PIB said.

Here's the tweet by PIB:

In India, the COVID-19 tally on Monday surged to 3,32,424 with over 11,502 new cases in the past 24 hours. The death toll due to coronavirus in the country mounted to 9520 after 325 more people succumbed to the deadly virus since Sunday morning.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 15, 2020 04:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).