By Chris Brown

"infodemic" can be overwhelming, top doc says

Hinshaw urges Albertans to be wary of COVID-19 misinformation

Jan 26, 2021 | 4:31 PM

Alberta’s chief medical officer of health says misinformation is making the job of public health officials and the government harder as they fight to get COVID-19 under control in the province.

“Each of us can help combat misinformation and disinformation. This is another way we can all support and protect each other,” Dr. Deena Hinshaw said Tuesday.

Hinshaw says people may have heard the term “infodemic” over the past few months used to describe the overabundance of COVID and related information online and offline.

She said it can overwhelming and tough to know what to believe and how to respond.

“Now more than ever before, it’s critical that we are all informed by verified facts and informed analysis, and that we are making the best decisions for our individual and collective health and safety,” she said.

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Given the scale and speed of changes in understanding COVID-19 and how it behaves, Hinshaw says it’s natural to have questions and want more information.

She encouraged all Albertans to be thoughtful and appropriately critical of what they see on social media and any other platform, and urged people to assess the accuracy and consider the source before believing it or passing it along.

“Look for information from a reputable source, which ideally can be confirmed by multiple other reputable sources,” she said.

Promoting content by experts in epidemiology, infectious diseases and public health will help inform people, keep everyone safe and help stop the spread of misinformation, she added.

Hinshaw also said to check the date of any material you are sharing, as information from last spring or summer may not still be relevant due to an ever-growing understanding of the virus.

She noted officials are monitoring the spread and that the easing of restrictions must be done cautiously, saying the health system remains under strain.

“The rise of new variants in Alberta and around the world also makes it vital that we not move too quickly, which could have dire consequences for our health system and our health.”

(CHAT News Today)