Social media has the unique ability to spread information like wildfire. Millions of keyboard soldiers share tweets and or posts that allow commentaries that once would get no attention in the mainstream press to reach millions of people. On Friday afternoon, the information highway harnessed the power of the internet and spread a commentary about our governor. It resulted in hundreds of my loyal listeners overrunning my inbox with a compelling video featuring one of Connecticut's political rising stars.

The Stamford-raised and educated Candace Owens, who has become a hero in conservative circles, posted a "Live Facebook" video that quickly went viral, calling for the resignation of Gov. Ned Lamont. She is accusing the Connecticut governor of lying about the death of a 6-week-old baby who tested positive for the coronavirus.

It all began with a series of tweets from the governor stating, "It is with heartbreaking sadness today that we can confirm the first pediatric fatality in Connecticut linked to COVID-19. A 6-week-old newborn from the Hartford area was brought unresponsive to a hospital late last week and could not be revived. Testing confirmed last night that the newborn was COVID-19 positive. This is absolutely heartbreaking. We believe this is one of the youngest lives lost anywhere due to complications relating to COVID-19."

The toddler's death is awful and heartbreaking, but labeling the virus as the killer is not entirely accurate. There is/was no proof that this infant succumbed to the coronavirus, and misleading the public is a massive disservice. People are frightened and searching for answers and they are desperate for accurate information. What the governor provided was manufactured hyperbole alarming young mothers and mothers-to-be, inducing potential panic by distorting the details of this child's death. The public is reliant on leadership to deliver accurate, unbiased information. It's imperative that the administration gets this right. Yelling “Fire!” in a crowded movie theater is not the answer.

The Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner has still not issued a cause of death and has said it could take weeks.

Owens alludes to a potential conspiracy linking governors from states in desperate financial straits (Connecticut, New York, New Jersey) to extract wealth from the federal government. She says that: "Lamont is using the coronavirus as a money grab."

Conspiracy theories are wrought with multiple moving parts with the ultimate execution being utter fantasy. Extorting money from the federal government by purposely inflating death numbers would prove to be a viciously damnable offense by any administration. The governor gets a tepid benefit of the doubt that he made a simple mistake in so strongly linking the death of the young girl to COVID-19. This should prove yet another warning to all politicians and leaders, including the president — you are responsible for what you say, own it.

There are obvious public benefits when health departments can determine COVID-19 infections in individuals who have passed away. There should be no issue with testing anyone and everyone to help determine and track the path of this virus. Information gleaned from postmortem examinations could prove invaluable in locating the potentially infected. However, scaring the public into a catatonic state is deceitful. The public is already on the verge of panic and feeding the fire with inaccuracies — even if they are unintentional — is detrimental to the safety and public trust.

The coronavirus is real, and reported COVID-related deaths were approaching 13,000 in the U.S. on Wednesday. However, warping numbers to inflate death totals is only adding to public unrest.

Former ABC News chief and White House correspondent and current Fox New's contributor Britt Hume recently Tweeted "Well, Dr. Birx just said it. Anyone in U.S. who dies with Covid 19, regardless of what else may be wrong, is now being recorded as a Covid 19 death. There is already a growing number of conspiracy theorists who feel much of this epidemic is government-made. Feeding that narrative is unwise.”

In the grand scheme of things, Lamont’s fabrication (or misspeak or miscommunication) is small potatoes considering how many people are sick and dying. However, the public is owed the truth, and whether you are the president, a senator, a congressperson, a governor or the town mayor, your duty is to disseminate information accurately. This new world is a spinning shamble of hysteria and dread. The wrong word from a trusted source can cause chaos.

P.S. Allow me the chance to thank the doctors, nurses and front-line health care workers who are card-carrying superheroes. You go into harm's way everyday forsaking your own health and wellness to help save lives. Thank you.

Lee Elci is the morning host for 94.9 News Now radio, a station that provides "Stimulating Talk" with a conservative bent.