Authors
An audio clip attributed to Dr Trehan from Medanta Hospitals is being circulated on Whatsapp with multiple claims including that the situation from “27 March is going to become very serious.”
Dr Naresh Trehan is the chairman and managing director at Medanta, a chain of multi-specialty medical institutes.
In a rough translation of the three-minute-audio clip, a voice can be heard saying, “I’m about to share important news I received from China, Italy and WHO. A dangerous time has begun and it’s going to be a crucial time from 27 March till 14 April.” He strongly advises people to remain at home and take particular care of the elderly and children, which he categorises as vulnerable groups. He warns listeners of an exponential rise in cases followed by deaths, with attribution to Italy. He further advises people to gargle with turmeric and salt and drink plenty of warm water.
Newschecker received multiple queries to verify this claim. It was shared with a three-minute clip and a message which reads, “This is the msg from Medanta Hospital’s Dr Trehan. Kindly listen carefully and forward to everybody in ur groups”
You can listen to the audio clip below.
The audio clip comes at a time when multiple Indian states witness an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. Maharashtra remains the epicentre of the novel coronavirus with 3,40,542 active cases, followed by Karnataka (28,248) and Kerala (24,646).
Also Read: COVID-19 Vaccine Related Pamphlet By Biswaroop Chaudhary Includes False And Misleading Claims
Fact Check / Verification
Medanta refuted this claim via their official Twitter account on 27 March in response to a user who posted the claim.
They clarified the same via their official Facebook account as well. The posts’ caption reads, “There is a message circulating on WhatsApp in Dr. Naresh Trehan’s name. If the message has not come from the official channels of Medanta Hospital, please do not forward it. Be aware of such false and dangerous news!”
A similar claim was viral last year in March. Medanta clarified the false message on their Twitter account at the time.
Conclusion
The Whatsapp message related to COVID-19 pandemic along with an audio clip attributed to Dr Trehan from Medanta Hospitals is false. The hospital chain has clarified the same on their official Twitter and Facebook page.
Result: False
Our Sources
Medanta: https://twitter.com/medanta/status/1375730221031190529?s=20
Medanta: https://www.facebook.com/medanta/posts/3921497574539409
Medanta: https://twitter.com/medanta/status/1243602336846680069?s=20
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