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Social Media, Misinformation and the Covid-19 Pandemic

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Social Media, Misinformation and the Covid-19 Pandemic SOCIAL MEDIA, MISINFORMATION AND HOW CAN PEOPLE IDENTIFY ONLINE MISINFORMATION THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC RELATED TO COVID-19? Developed with assistance from David Hill, MD > Online misinformation is common, but during the COVID-19 pandemic it has become “viral.” It is important to check the source for any information you read online. > A good rule of thumb: if you are looking for scientific information, it is best to access it from scientific or federal websites (Centers for Disease Control, US Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, US Health and Human Services) or from state and local health departments because they vet the information and provide reliable sources. HOW CAN PEOPLE POINT OUT MISINFORMATION IN A CONSTRUCTIVE MANNER? > Avoid telling someone to take a post down. This can create “forbidden fruit” and actually encourage others to share it. If you are going to point out misinformation, it is best to also provide links to credible sources with accurate information. HOW CAN SOCIAL MEDIA BE HELPFUL TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC? > Social media is a great way to share resources and confirm information. > It allows us to socialize when we may be stuck at home due to social-distancing measures. > It also provides a way to check in with your friends and family to see how they are managing during the pandemic. HOW CAN SOCIAL MEDIA BE HELPFUL TO HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS DURING THE PANDEMIC? > Social media helps health care professionals to stay up-to-date with rapidly evolving information. They can see information when it is released, as well as expert reactions to it. > It is also a great way for health care professionals to communicate with their patient communities, spread scientific truth and fight misinformation. Alone we are rare. Together we are strong.® rarediseases.org WHY ARE COVID-19 STUDY RESULTS BEING PUBLISHED PRIOR TO PEER-REVIEW? > This is being done to get data out rapidly when information is constantly changing and health care providers are continually looking for new treatments and approaches. The downside of this is that these findings are not yet vetted to ensure that the interpretation of data and conclusions are accurate. > Anything that is released prior to peer-review should be taken with some degree of skepticism. Turn to medical experts to understand what the preliminary peer reaction is to the data. WHAT ARE SOME RELIABLE RESOURCES? > Go to official government or academic websites rather than your peers > CDC: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html > State public health websites (below are the state websites where NORD offices are located) CT: portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus DC: coronavirus.dc.gov MA: mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-updates-and-information > American Lung Association: lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/covid-19 > Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Dashboard: coronavirus.jhu.edu/us-map > NORD: rarediseases.org/covid-19 COVID-19 EDUCATION SUPPORT This series is made possible by individual donations, grants and corporate sponsorships. NORD: Fighting for the rare community every day for more than 37 years. NORD is committed to the identification, treatment and cure of rare disorders through programsof education, advocacy, research and patient support services. NORD does not recommend or endorse any particular medical treatment but encourages patients to seek the advice of their clinicians. NORD Headquarters: 55 Kenosia Avenue, Danbury, CT 06810 Tel: 203.744.0100 Fax: 203.263.9938 ©2020 NORD. All rights reserved. NORD®, its icon, tagline and RareEDU are registered trademarks of The National Organization for Rare Disorders. NORD is a 501(c)(3) charity organization. NRD-2043.
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