Category: Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Theories
Voices in the Vacuum
Science Based Medicine What we have seen is the widespread propagation of misinformation and disinformation. And the reason it has taken root is because there was an information vacuum. I come back to our role as physicians. It is critical that we fill that vacuum because if we don’t, others will. This quote is absolutely […]
May 30, 2023
Taiwan is using humor as a tool against coronavirus hoaxes
QZ.com There’s nothing inherently funny about the novel coronavirus. The latest World Health Organization numbers indicate that more than 383,000 people have died from Covid-19, and the number of confirmed cases worldwide has eclipsed the 6 million mark. But Taiwan, which is lauded for its success in containing the spread of coronavirus, has adopted humor as a tool in […]
May 23, 2023
Joe Rogan Defends Taking Ivermectin for COVID-19 in Scathing Rant
Newsweek Joe Rogan hit back at the mainstream media outlets for “mocking” him about taking ivermectin after testing positive for COVID-19. The comedian spoke at length on his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, responding to the likes of CNN and MSNBC which he claims tried to “shame him” for taking alternative medications rather than getting vaccinated against COVID. Rogan contracted COVID on […]
May 9, 2023
How misinformation became the leading cause of death in the U.S. and what can be done about it
Texas Public Radio – Audio Report Medical misinformation is killing people, according to the head of the Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Robert Califf blames misinformation and disinformation about public health for the fact that life expectancy in the U.S. is between three and five years lower than it is in other high-income countries. Experts […]
Apr 25, 2023
To Understand Anti-vaxxers, Consider Aristotle
The Atlantic Among the many difficulties imposed upon America by the pandemic, the scourge of anti-vaccine sentiment—and the preventable deaths caused as result—ranks among the most frustrating, especially for infectious-disease doctors like me. People who are hospitalized with COVID-19 rarely refuse therapy, but acceptance of vaccines to help prevent infection has been considerably more limited. Seventy percent […]
Mar 28, 2023
My 6-Year-Old Son Died. Then the Anti-vaxxers Found Out.
The Atlantic Opponents of COVID vaccines terrorize grieving families on social media. My 6-year-old boy died in January. We lost him after a household accident, one likely brought on by a rare cerebral-swelling condition. Paramedics got his heart beating, but it was too late to save his brain. I could hold his hand, look at the […]
Mar 28, 2023
Why One Woman’s Family Began Drinking Bleach
Bloomberg Prognosis Anna was just home from her first year of college when her parents introduced her to a new health fad that they had learned about at church. It was called Miracle Mineral Solution. And taking it was a lot like taking your vitamins. It could prevent (and cure) a host of illnesses. In […]
Mar 14, 2023
