Disinformation of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Contents
Introduction
COVID-19
[1] COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus that causes symptoms such as shortness of breath, fever, cough, etc. It was identified as a new type of coronavirus after China reported an outbreak in December 2020. The disease mainly has an effect on those 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. As a result, a major way of combatting the virus is limiting in person contact and communication. The virus originated in Wuhan, China, and it likely originated from an animal, which was most likely a bat.
COVID-19 Pandemic
On March, 11 2019, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 crisis a global pandemic. [4] 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. 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. So, a good defense against both spreading the virus and protecting yourself was wearing protective masks that would filter out viruses and bacteria from the air. 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. [5] 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. It has been estimated that about 70-90% of the population will need to receive the vaccine to reach herd immunity. [6] Some concerns about the vaccine are certainly warranted. The vaccine has been developed at an incredibly fast pace, which has people believing that it is largely untested. However, there has 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. [7]
The Spread of Disinformation
The amount of disinformation spread on the internet has been increasing throughout the past years, and this number grew even more rapidly during the pandemic. This is caused by the increased usage in information technologies, especially social media.
Social Media
The issue of disinformation spread on social media has been a complicated one. On one hand, social media platforms are supposed to be platforms where people can speak freely about any topics they choose. However, these platforms have become so large and popular that they also have a responsibility to promote content that is truthful. Among the main spreaders of disinformation was ex-President Donald J. Trump, who often downplayed the risks of COVID-19 on Twitter. As a result, his account was 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 dramatically. As these platforms continue to grow, they have a responsibility to fact check posts, especially large ones, to limit the spread of disinformation. [8]
References
- ↑ Coronavirus and COVID-19: What You Should Know. (2013, August 7). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus
- ↑ Weekly Updates by Select Demographic and Geographic Characteristics https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm
- ↑ Coronavirus in Michigan: Here’s what to know Jan. 19, 2021 https://www.clickondetroit.com/health/2021/01/19/coronavirus-in-michigan-heres-what-to-know-jan-19-2021/#//
- ↑ A Timeline of the Coronavirus Pandemic https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-timeline.html
- ↑ How One Doctor Addresses Doubts from Anti-Maskers https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-one-doctor-addresses-doubts-from-anti-maskers/
- ↑ Herd Immunity: How Many People Need to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine? https://www.houstonmethodist.org/blog/articles/2020/dec/herd-immunity-how-many-people-need-to-get-the-covid-19-vaccine/
- ↑ Misinformation about COVID-19: evidence for differential latent profiles and a strong association with trust in science https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-020-10103-x
- ↑ Fighting the Spread of COVID-19 Misinformation https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/fighting-the-spread-of-covid-19-misinformation/
