Fighting Infodemic Becomes Must After Covid-19 Pandemic's Onslaught on Truth, Knowledge

Bora Erdem

European Journal of Medicine and Natural Sciences, 2024, vol. 7, issue 2, 39-53

Abstract: Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of infected cases, the international community has been confronted with one of the most urgent health crises in recent decades. With the COVID-19 pandemic, we confronted a new phenomenon known as an "Infodemic" or "epidemic of misleading information" regarding COVID-19. Presently, a large amount of unsubstantiated material on various elements of the COVID-19 disease, disease control and prevention techniques and its effects is being distributed via social media, news agencies and television networks. Due to their accessibility, social networks are increasingly becoming an integral part of our lives. They provide avenues where anybody can convey their ideas and post information without impeding or regulating their publishing validation. As a consequence, it facilitates the spread of "Fake News," material that is deliberately false. Because of the amount of social media users and the volume of followers, fake social media news could have major adverse social repercussions. Misinformation and disinformation can have detrimental effects on people's mental and physical health, increase stigma, jeopardize valuable health gains, and result in poor adherence to public health measures, hence reducing their efficiency and jeopardizing their ability to manage the pandemic. Misinformation can result in death. Without trust and accurate information, diagnostic tests go unutilized, immunization campaigns (or initiatives to enhance effectiveness of vaccines) fall short of their goals, and the virus thrives. What's more, disinformation is creating a rift in public debate on COVID-19-related issues, intensifying hate speech, increasing the chances of conflict, violent acts, and violations of human rights, and jeopardizing long-term prospects for advancing social cohesion, human rights, and democracy.

Keywords: COVID-19; false news; misinformation; infodemic; eHealth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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