Difference between revisions of "Disinformation of the COVID-19 Pandemic"

Revision as of 22:51, 1 April 2021

Introduction

COVID-19

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus that causes symptoms such as shortness of breath, fever, cough, etc.^[1] The World Health Organization (WHO) identified it as a new type of coronavirus after China reported an outbreak in December 2020.^[1] Most coronaviruses are not dangerous, however, the infections from COVID-19 have ranged from mild to deadly.^[1] The disease mainly affects those who are 65 and older along with people with underlying health conditions, but there is still plenty left to discover about the disease. ^[2] It is mainly spread through person-to-person contact from respiratory droplets that come from coughing, sneezing, or talking.^[3] As a result, a major way of combatting the virus is limiting in-person contact and communication. Researchers are still uncertain what caused the COVID-19 variant, but coronaviruses are common in humans and animals including bats, camels, cats, and cattle. However, since the COVID-19 strain is similar to the strains of MERS and SARS, the origin is believed to have come from bats.^[1]

COVID-19 Pandemic

A screenshot of reported cases throughout the pandemic ^[4]

On March, 11 2019, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 crisis a global pandemic. ^[5] In the months following the shutdown, the entire United States was shut down to help prevent the spread of the virus in an unprecedented move. This caused the economy of the United States to come to a halt and caused the worst recession seen since the Great Recession of 2009.^[6] The lockdown caused a great deal of controversy as small businesses everywhere struggled to stay afloat without being able to open their doors to the public. As states wished to reopen their economies, the information about the Coronavirus such as new case numbers, new death tolls, and testing positivity rates in certain areas were vital to arguments of each side of the aisle. Because this data was important to each argument, there were instances of it being skewed to fit different agendas.

Controversy and Conspiracies of COVID-19

Anti-Masking

As said above, a major way that COVID-19 spreads is through respiratory droplets. According to the CDC, masks are effective at preventing spreading and contracting the virus by filtering out viruses particles from the air. ^[7] Although this method has proven to reduce the spread of the virus, there are those who are against using them because they see them making it more difficult to breathe or see them as the government infringing on their freedoms. ^[8] Proponents of this behavior have tried to spread disinformation about the pandemic, pushing information that makes COVID-19 as a minimal threat despite overwhelming evidence in the opposite direction.

COVID-19 Vaccination

Since COVID-19 spread through the United States, the development of an effective vaccine has been at the center of attention around this pandemic. The development of this vaccine was called "Operation Warp Speed," and the vaccine is now being distributed all over the United States. However, despite much testing and no evidence of bad long-term effects, a recent survey showed that only 50-70% of United States citizens wish to receive the vaccine. ^[9] It has been estimated that about 70-90% of the population will need to receive the vaccine to reach herd immunity. ^[10] Much of the concern surrounding the vaccine has to do with the speed at which it was approved and produced. However, there have also been some conspiracy theories about the vaccine such as the vaccine being developed so that Bill Gates would be able to put microchip trackers in a large portion of the population through the vaccine. ^[11] With no evidence or logic behind the conspiracy theory, there is fear that the narrative will slow the United States goal of herd immunity.

The Spread of Disinformation

As the pandemic continued, so did the confusion around it. The spread of disinformation on the internet increased rapidly during the pandemic, and it was mainly caused by an increase in the use of information technologies, especially social media. This led to more people having distrust in the information they saw, making it harder to create policies that did not have large backlash. ^[12]

Social Media

The issue of disinformation spread on social media is a complicated one. On one hand, social media platforms serve as a place where people can speak freely about any topics they choose. However, these platforms now have to balance allowing an open forum for speech and discussion and protecting the spread of disinformation. Otherwise, false information can spread quickly to a large audience of people. As these platforms continue to grow, there is a growing responsibility to fact-check posts, especially large ones, to limit the spread of disinformation. ^[13]

Donald J. Trump

A screenshot of one of Donald Trump's tweets downplaying the severity of the pandemic. ^[14]

One of the main spreaders of disinformation was President Donald J. Trump, who often downplayed the risks of COVID-19 on Twitter. His account was eventually banned from the Twitter platform due to his tweets and its outcomes, mainly the Capitol riot in January. After this action by the social media company, the amount of disinformation online about COVID-19 among other issues dropped by about 73 percent.^[15] Throughout his presidency, one of Trump's main goals was to build up the American economy. Because the pandemic and its subsequent shutdown threatened this, Trump wanted to downplay the severity of the pandemic. He did this through his Twitter often, tweeting out false information. ^[15] Additionally, Trump often referred to the COVID-19 virus as the "China Virus," which was shown to increase the use of anti-Asian hashtags on Twitter. ^[16] This is especially prevalent because of the shooting that occured on March 16, 2021 in Atlanta Georgia. Six of the eight victims were Asian. ^[17] This is one example of the dangers of disinformation. One of Trump's tweets downplaying the pandemic is shown on the right.

Helicopters Spraying Disinfectant

During March 2020, there were stories that helicopters were going to fly over neighborhoods and spray disinfectant in the air to kill the virus and end the spread.^[18] This claim originated in India, Mexico, and Switzerland, and eventually spread to the United States. The information was shared through text messages over WhatsApp before spreading through multiple social media platforms. This is another piece of disinformation that was started and spread surrounding the hysteria that was the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, residents of New York City received texts that warned them to close their windows and doors as the disinfectant would be in the air after 11:00 p.m. This caused New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson to address these rumors over Twitter and deny the validity of the information.^[18]

5G Spreading COVID-19

In late January 2020, Facebook posts that claimed 5G technology was responsible for the emergence of the COVID-19 started circulating around the internet.^[19]This was around the same time the first cases of COVID-19 were recorded in the United States. The posts either claimed that 5G weakened the immune system and allowed people to be more susceptible to the virus, or 5G technology had the potential to transmit the virus. According to University of Reading’s Dr. Simon Clarke, however, the claims are unfounded. The associate professor in microbiology states the immune system can be weakened by many factors, and 5G radio waves are not included as they are not strong enough to heat people enough to affect them in any capacity. Clarke claims that viruses and electromagnetic waves are “as different as chalk and cheese.” One flaw to this specific conspiracy theory is that COVID-19 is being spread in specific areas of countries like the United Kingdom and Iran that do not have 5G access yet.^[19]

Ethics of Disinformation

There are ethical considerations that go along with disinformation spread through social media. A vital reflection is whether anyone has been harmed as a result. ^[20] There can be arguments made whether the disinformation regarding COVID-19 has caused harm, if an indirect result. Furthermore, the intentions of the disinformation spread is another consideration; the spread of misinformation for some may have been intentional or unintentional. With Americans consuming so much information on a daily basis, the questions of how to debunk misinformation is presented. This is especially important as Americans navigate and consume so much information and try to discern what is accurate, as it could leave the public improperly prepared to protect themselves. ^[21] Regulation of information share is difficult and involves many considerations, both legal and ethical. Because much of the spread has been through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit, any actions to address the ethical concerns would be something that would need to reach a private company. Yet, private companies may choose to take action on their own accord, which then also may fuel the fire of the free speech debate; if a social media company chooses to "silence" those who are sharing their voice (which adds to the disinformation) like they did with President Trump following the January Capitol riots, it may anger some. For an issue like COVID-19 where other people's personal attitudes and decisions can affect the safety of others, the ethical and moral concerns hold a large gravity.

Continued Exposure Increases Perceived Accuracy

Continuously being exposed to fake-news headlines increases a person’s perceived accuracy of that headline ^[22]. It is important for society to discern what is real and what is not real, therefore, recognizing disinformation is a critical step in understanding issues ^[22]. Explicitly warning individuals of disinformation that has been disputed by fact-checkers did not significantly diminish the effect that repeated exposure to headlines has ^[22]. Continuous exposure to information will lead people to believe it is true. According to research, “Seeing a fake-news headline, whether four times or just once, reduced how unethical people thought it was to publish and share the headline when they saw it again, even when it was labeled false” ^[23]. People that are exposed to disinformation regarding COVID-19 repeatedly, will perceive that information as more accurate or more ethical than before reading the headlines.

Digital Spread of Information

Disinformation and misinformation spread through digital media platforms so quickly that it can “can overwhelm any information gatekeeping, especially during public health emergencies like a pandemic” ^[24]. Information that has not been confirmed, or incomplete information is spread throughout social media platforms and users read the information, thinking it is reliable [4]. A common way that disinformation is found in social media is through partially indexing an expert’s claims [4]. Many reports offered partial accounts of Dr. Fauci’s testimony to a senate committee in May of 2020 [4]. If the claims and reports are compared to the full video, there is evidence that some clips were taken out of context and claims were exaggerated [4].

Disinformation spreads quickly when prominent figures – like Presidents or celebrities – make statements through social media ^[24]. The media covers these statements, repeatedly stating the false information that was spread on social media ^[24]. The attention on the falsehoods posted on social media undermine the authority of qualified individuals during the pandemic ^[24]. Media that reports on disinformation scandals are countering the authority of professionals in medicine and public health by repeatedly covering the incorrect and harmful information ^[24].

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Coronavirus and COVID-19: What You Should Know. (2013, August 7). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus
2. ↑ Weekly Updates by Select Demographic and Geographic Characteristics. (2021, March 24). CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm
3. ↑ Coronavirus. (2020, January 10). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
4. ↑ Bartkowiak, D. (2021, January 19). Coronavirus in Michigan: Here’s what to know Jan. 19, 2021. Click On Detroit. https://www.clickondetroit.com/health/2021/01/19/coronavirus-in-michigan-heres-what-to-know-jan-19-2021/#//
5. ↑ Taylor, D. (2021, March 17). A Timeline of the Coronavirus Pandemic. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-timeline.html
6. ↑ Mordecai, M., & Schumacher, S. (2020, September 22). In many countries, people are more negative about the economy amid COVID-19 than during the Great Recession. Retrieved March 27, 2021, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/09/14/in-many-countries-people-are-more-negative-about-the-economy-amid-covid-19-than-during-great-recession/
7. ↑ CDC. (n.d.). Masks protect you & me. Retrieved March 27, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/masks-protect-you-and-me.html
8. ↑ How One Doctor Addresses Doubts from Anti-Maskers. (2021, November 19). Health Essentials. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-one-doctor-addresses-doubts-from-anti-maskers/
9. ↑ Galewitz, P. (2021, January 27). Poll: Nearly half of American adults now want the Covid vaccine - ASAP. Retrieved March 27, 2021, from https://khn.org/news/article/poll-nearly-half-of-american-adults-now-want-the-covid-vaccine-asap/
10. ↑ McCallum, K. (2020, December 30). Herd Immunity: How Many People Need to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine? Houston Methodist. https://www.houstonmethodist.org/blog/articles/2020/dec/herd-immunity-how-many-people-need-to-get-the-covid-19-vaccine/
11. ↑ Agley, J & Xiao, Y. (2021) Misinformation about COVID-19: evidence for differential latent profiles and a strong association with trust in science. BMC Public Health. https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-020-10103-x
12. ↑ Butcher, P. (2021, January 25). COVID-19 as a turning point in the fight against disinformation. Nature Electronics. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41928-020-00532-2
13. ↑ Sweeney, C. (2021, February 9). Fighting the Spread of COVID-19 Misinformation. Harvard School of Public Health. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/fighting-the-spread-of-covid-19-misinformation/
14. ↑ Falcon, R. (2020, October 6). Twitter flags Trump tweet comparing flu to COVID-19 as ‘misleading’ and ‘potentially harmful’. KXAN. https://www.kxan.com/news/coronavirus/twitter-flags-trump-tweet-comparing-flu-to-covid-19-as-misleading-and-potentially-harmful/
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} Dwoskin, E & Timberg, C. (2021, January 16). Misinformation dropped dramatically the week after Twitter banned Trump and some allies. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/16/misinformation-trump-twitter/
16. ↑ Kurtzman, L. (2021, March 18). Trump’s ‘Chinese Virus’ Tweet Linked to Rise of Anti-Asian Hashtags on Twitter. UCSF. https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2021/03/420081/trumps-chinese-virus-tweet-linked-rise-anti-asian-hashtags-twitter
17. ↑ Chen, N. (2021, March 22). Xiaojie Tan owned 2 spas and planned to retire soon. Then she became one of the Atlanta gunman's first victims. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/21/us/metro-atlanta-shootings-sunday/index.html
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1} Helicopters not spraying disinfectant over neighborhoods to stop virus. (2020, March 24). AP NEWS. https://apnews.com/article/8682190618
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1} Lawrie, E. S. R. B. (2020, April 15). Coronavirus: Scientists brand 5G claims “complete rubbish.” BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/52168096
20. ↑ Bjola, C. (2018). The ethics of countering digital propaganda. Ethics & international affairs, 32(3), 305-315.
21. ↑ Mian, A., & Khan, S. (2020). Coronavirus: the spread of misinformation. BMC medicine, 18(1), 1-2.
22. ↑ ^{22.0 22.1 22.2} Pennycook, G., Cannon, T. D., & Rand, D. G. (2018). Prior exposure increases the perceived accuracy of fake news. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 147(12), 1865-1880. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/xge0000465
23. ↑ Effron, D.A., & Raj, M. (2019). Misinformation and morality: Encountering fake-news headlines makes them seem less unethical to publish and share. Psychological Science, 31(1), 75-87. doi: 10.1177/0956797619887896
24. ↑ ^{24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4} Vish Viswanath, PhD, “– Digital Spread of Pandemic Misinformation and Lies, Part 1 and 2,” interview by Audiey Kao, MD, PhD, AMA Journal of Ethics, 2020.