The Commission on Higher Education is calling on college and university officials to advise students, faculty and staff “to stop reading, liking, and sharing fake news and unverified information from social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.”
The commission issued the guidelines for the prevention, control and mitigation of the spread of COVID-19 acute respiratory disease in higher education institutions.
“HEIs are encouraged to only rely on and disseminate relevant information obtained from the Department of Health and World Health Organization via their official website, specifically the links provided above. It is also recommended that updates and guidance from the DOH and WHO be made available to all students, faculty and staff via a link to these pages on your school’s website,” its communications channels.
The commission said “HEIs must create a trustworthy portal of information within their schools and ensure that official advisories from the WHO and DOH remain visible across multiple communication channels.”
“While gathering infomation online may be the easiest initial option, HEIs should advise everyone experiencing symptoms of an infection, such as fever, cough or shortness of breath, to contact a doctor or if available, a specialist at the nearest medical center who is likely to have the most recent information about a previously unknown infectious illness like this,” it said.