WhatsApp is working on a new feature that is now available in its Android beta channel: reverse image search. Basically, what it does is allow you to quickly search for submitted images online, so as to verify their authenticity if necessary.
This is a very easy feature. Once you tap on the image you received, in the three-dot menu at the top right there will be a new entry: Search on the web. It will upload the image to Google and the search engine will then present you with identical and similar images, so you can get a better idea of how trustworthy what is being sent to you is.
Of course you can always do this manually, but it's easier to build this functionality directly into WhatsApp itself rather than share it with a Google app to achieve the same goal.
Either way, by browsing the image, you'll get more context and be able to see if it's part of a misinformation effort.
The feature is currently only available to beta testers, and it may take a few weeks, or even months, before it's available to everyone, but it looks like it's coming soon.