The COVID-19 pandemic is not only about the spread of a virus, but also of misinformation (6). Misinformation during a health emergency has previously led to distrust in health agencies and direct unhealthy behaviour, as is the case with the corona pandemic (6). Misinformation can be considered false information that is not necessarily purposefully misleading, and it has the potential to have negative health outcomes during a pandemic (2). Disinformation, however, is the deliberate and strategic spreading of false information and may have been used during the pandemic to gain or maintain power (2).

Deliberately spreading false information or withholding vital information, giving into denialism, is an appalling strategy and we as a global community have a responsibility to call out such actions.

Serbian people were told that the number of new cases on the 21st of June was 91, out of 3,269 tested people. The number of active cases was actually 686. Compared to other countries, the number might not appear scary, but one should take into account that the Serbian population counts just under 7 million people. On the 26th of June, the number of new cases spiked to 193, and the number of active cases was 1,068. On the 9th of July, there were 3,339 active cases, or at least, that is the information that the Serbian Ministry of Health provided (3).

“Everything is under control” is a phrase commonly used to describe the chaos that is taking place in the Serbian town of Novi Pazar. It is bold and deplorable to stand in front of your people and maintain this, while they are watching their loved ones pass away due to the lack of health care.

As of the 28th of June, residents of Novi Pazar reports that the number of deceased people per day from COVID-19 – in their city alone – is 11 (4). As Al Jazeera Balkans writes, Serbian ministers did not respond to this, even though they claimed that the number of deceased people had been less than 10 on the national level that particular day (1). The residents of Novi Pazar fight for help with every single ounce of humanity, kindness, and compassion left to protect the fragility of being alive and healthy. Patient information boards in hospitals are full, people are laying on hospital floors and in hallways and there are no medical supplies, no rooms nor staff to treat the infected. Nothing. There are only videos and personal statements of Serbian doctors, brave and uncorrupted journalists and families of those who have fallen ill, providing evidence of this devastating situation. People of Novi Pazar are speaking up on social media, calling for help, since the ones they counted on have turned their backs on them.

Denying and covering up facts during a pandemic is a horrible strategy. Trying to cover the haunting scenes of old hospitals with hallways packed with beds and sick people is even worse. On the 30th of June, Serbian Prime Minister and Minister of Health visited the city of Novi Pazar. The hospital that was suffering so terribly was unrecognisable. In a single night, patients have been moved from the hallways. Floors have been cleaned and the hospital was presented as being completely under control.

It seemed like life in Serbia would continue as nothing ever happened, but it turned out that this was one of the drops that caused the glass to spill over. The situation has escalated into protests, violence, and frustration. People are getting more exposed to the virus, while Serbian hospitals are reaching their capacities. Without peace in mind, it seems that Serbian people care for healthy leadership more than for healthy bodies. The situation was uncertain before, but now it is considerably more difficult to stay optimistic.

Irene Blomqvist

Irene is the Vice President of CGHI. As a global health professional, her mission is to ignite the transformation towards better preventive health and sustainability.