Covid-19’s Deadly Twin

Covid-19 has an ugly and dangerous twin, misinformation. While the world has been fighting the pandemic, the amount of information it has generated is causing serious problems of its own. The abundance of academic articles, press, commentary, social media postings, all about the same topic - many inaccurate, others not - make some Doctors feel as if they are fighting two enemies, Covid-19 and misinformation. The World Health Organisation (WHO) have labelled the twin an “infodemic”, and it is making it hard to know what is trustworthy and what is not. Once-upon-a-time, before the pandemic, Snopes was the gold standard for fighting misinformation. If something did not sound quite right, if you needed the truth, a quote from Snopes could end the argument. That is no longer the case when it comes to Covid-19, the sheer volume of misinformation has overwhelmed the Snopes fact checkers and they have admitted they can no longer keep up with the avalanche of misinformation.

 

Some misinformation falls under the umbrella of conspiracy theories, these use the old trick of mixing facts and lies. For one examples; COVID-19 does not mean, “See a sheep surrender”, this is supposedly based on the Latin for sheep, but if you read the social media posts, and do not have a basic grasp of Latin, you may miss the claim that “sheep” in Latin is “ovid”, it is not, the word for sheep is “ovis”. The same social media posts go on to claim that 19 is the, “number of surrender”. Yet no evidence exists for this so-called fact. This conspiracy theory spread around the world at the speed of the internet, not because it contained any truth, but because it gave people something to believe in when they were feeling powerless and alienated. Psychology Today states that people believe conspiracy theories for three basic reasons: “1. The desire for understanding and certainty. 2. The desire for control and security. 3. The desire to maintain a positive self-image.” During a pandemic, these desires can overpower basic common-sense and some normally trustworthy people have fallen for, and even started, conspiracies. Many now exist, but as Snopes cannot keep up with them, how can they be spotted and killed?

Part of the problem is that with one press of a button an unread article can be shared publicly with the world. So, if a headline gives you a feeling of security in a time of uncertainly, the button is pressed and with a digital cough, the misinformation propagates to infect others. This is not a new problem, journalists have frequently complained that they write articles, not headlines. Yet often it is only the headline that is read. In the age of click-bait, where advertising dollars follow eyeballs, an editor will want to write the catchiest headline. You may then find The Times of London competing with less reputable sites in a race to see whose headline can garner the most clicks. This does not make for good journalism, or a flow of trustworthy information.

Attempting to engage people who share conspiracy theories, is often a waste of time and breath. Arguing facts are important, will make people who have shared conspiracy theories see those pressing back at them as, “the enemy”, they then use this to justify their conspiracy. The truth-tellers then become demonised as trying to snatch away their security blanket or personal freedom. Thus a defensive stance is taken to protect their sense of security and in these cases, self-image will always be more important than truth.

Human nature is a fickle beast and can often lead to people gathering facts to back up their beliefs, rather than examining facts to establish better beliefs, or truth. So, in the age of Covid-19, it may be easier for some people to believe conspiracies and lies than confront their personal responsibility and own mortality.

While leaving Doctors to fight Covid-19, we can all help them by fighting the misinformation. It starts by accepting personal responsibility and, in a perfect world, responsibility would be taken by everyone to stop the spread of the disease as well as the misinformation, but the world is not perfect. However, if you have read this far you are probably not someone who skims headlines, and anyone willing to do the work can help combat the misinformation infodemic. When it comes to fighting Covid-19, scientists and Doctors agree on the basics of, social distancing, hand washing, wearing facemasks and, in some cases, isolating. When it comes to fighting misinformation we also have tools available to us. The WHO believes the infodemic is as dangerous as the virus and Mr. Pattison speaking on behalf of WHO said, “There are self-appointed experts, people working from anecdote, or making up wild claims to get traffic or notoriety.” Whether it is false information, fake cures, or distractions away from the recommended precautions and treatments, all of them hinder the fight against the illness. What can be done?

Before sharing any information checking against a short list can eliminate most distortions of truth. If it sounds too good to be true, guess what, it usually is. A lot of fake cures advertise themselves as a silver-bullet, a proven cure. If they worked then the medical profession would be using them. If a post claims to know more about where the virus started than is reported by traditional news sources, dig a little. It is easy to search for verification before sharing a post. The rumour that 5G started Covid-19 can be easily disproved by the fact some of the worst hit nations do not yet have 5G. It takes time to wash hands to keep the virus away, it takes roughly the same time to check out the source of a story. Laziness washing hands can lead to infection, laziness sharing posts can lead to misinformation. If a headline is too inviting making you want to share it, read the article to make sure the headline is not a gravestone hiding a rotting corpse of deception. If in any doubt, do not share.

Here are just a few simple steps to prevent misinformation infecting others:

1.            Always read with critical analysis, whether this is on social media, or any other site.

2.            When you see a friend/contact sharing information that is exaggerated, incorrect, or in any way false information, take the initiative to politely ask the person who shared it for more information. Do not just tell them to remove it. If you publicly embarrass them you may lose a friend and they may take a more entrenched position. When they provide more information, research reputable sources and privately point out any inconsistencies, but do so in a gentle way not to make yourself look right and them wrong. It is easy to be right and lose the argument through arrogance.

3.            Always report information you know to be false to the platform administrators.

4.            If in doubt, do not share. If you want to share, take the time to verify the facts.

5.            Take a stand on the side of science and make more noise than those sharing false information.

6.            Make use of fact checking sites like Snopes, they are still catching the biggest misinformation about Covid-19.

7.            Remember that social media is in no way a replacement for quality journalism. Only trust reputable news sources.

8.            If you have previously shared incorrect information, post a correction and take responsibility.

9.            Do not share rumours, or gossip and politely challenge any you hear.

10.         Keep yourself informed using reliable sources.