DETTOL’S HANDS-ON AD ON HUMAN CORONAVIRUS: BETWEEN FAKE NEWS AND EFFECTIVE PR IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The deadly Coronavirus codenamed COVID-19 caused by a large family of viruses which results in illnesses that range from common cold to more severe diseases such as respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome which broke out in Wuhan, China on 31st December 2019 has recorded fatalities. The fear and confusion associated with the disease is further heightened by arguments for and against its cure leading to various solutions such as the latest Dettol’s Hands-On Ad on Human Coronavirus making the rounds on various social media handles such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram et al. To this end, the researchers embarked on a qualitative narrative study titled “Dettol’s Hands-On Ad on COVID-19: Between Fake News and Effective PR in Nigeria” to investigate the matter. The study which used the individual differences theory as theoretical framework found that the “human coronavirus” written at the back of Dettol sanitizer refers to common cold and not COVID-19. To checkmate the trend, the paper recommended multimedia approaches, invoking media ethics and procurement of high-tech equipment as possible panacea. It concluded that with the right advice from health experts and requisite information by the press, the scourge of COVID-19 could be minimized and eventually fought.