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The National Enquirer is under fire for falsely claiming that cures for the coronavirus have been found.
The March 23 cover features the headline, “Coronavirus cures finally found,” and another sub-headline says surgical masks help spread the infection -- both of which are false.
"In a public health crisis, it is critical that media act responsibly. Spreading falsehoods about cures is worse, in many ways, than spreading false fears," Cornell Law School professor and media critic William A. Jacobson told Fox News.
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Inside the tabloid, an article claims “top doctors have told The National Enquirer that the deadly plague can be stopped in its tracks with natural cures found right in your kitchen or at your local pharmacy,” according to the New York Post.
New York Times reporter Charlie Savage noticed the Enquirer and blasted his local supermarket for displaying it during a nationwide pandemic.
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“Shame on @Safeway for continuing to profit from selling misinformation,” Savage wrote.
Many users responded to Savage’s tweet that they would purchase all of the remaining copies and throw them in the garbage if they see the Enquirer at their local supermarket.
DePauw University professor and media critic Jeffrey McCall told Fox News said putting out inaccurate information during a time of time of crisis is "really bad judgment, even for the Enquirer."
"It's exploitive and dangerous, especially for the few people who might put any stock in the story," McCall said. "It is one thing for the Enquirer to play the sensational game with stories about pop culture figures, but it is quite shameful to engage in this kind of approach on a matter of serious national health conditions.”
Health agencies recommend patients receive supportive care to relieve coronavirus symptoms and the World Health Organization (WHO) recently said there remains no known treatment for the coronavirus.
The total number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus worldwide has now surpassed 200,000, according to Johns Hopkins University, while the death toll has topped 8,000.
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The Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering's online tally showed 201,436 cumulative cases by 11:13 GMT (7:13 a.m. EST) on Tuesday, with 82,032 listed as recovered. It also recorded 8,006 deaths.
American Media Inc., which owns the National Enquirer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace and Alexandria Hein contributed to this report.