Ethics of reporting COVID-19 and addressing online and offline misinformation
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In this week's newsletter, we highlight the significance of collaborations between journalists and public health experts for reporting on COVID-19. We look at online and offline misinformation and the role played by platforms, religious leaders and text messages in making fake news go viral. We have award-winning journalist and medical doctor, Dr. Seema Yasmin highlighting and answering the top COVID-19 questions from Meedan's COVID-19 Expert Database. Watch this space for more exciting updates on this initiative. Enjoy reading, stay safe and have a fantastic weekend!
Top COVID-19 questions
Journalist and medical doctor, Dr. Seema Yasmin shares weekly highlights from Meedan's COVID-19 Expert Database
Where and how did this virus start? What are the origins of the virus?
From the COVID-19 Expert Database: Scientists have been able to use genetic tests to confirm that the virus was first identified in people and environmental samples in Wuhan City. Tests on the genetics of viruses, much like genetics in humans, can reveal a lot about their origins. When these genetic tests were done on the COVID-19 virus's genes, it revealed that the virus originated in an infected animal and mutated when that animal transferred the virus to a human, likely at the large seafood and animal market in Wuhan City. The details about that event, which is called a "zoonotic transfer" are still being investigated.
Seema says: "SARS-CoV-2 is a new virus but it shares 96% whole genome identity with BatCoV RaTG13, a coronavirus found in bats. One key difference between the two viruses sits on the spike protein of the virus, the part it uses to enter some human cells. This portion of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 is very similar to the portion seen in a coronavirus found in pangolins living in China, close to where the pandemic is believed to have started. These similarities point to the likelihood that SARS-CoV-2 emerged from a recombination event between the bat coronavirus and the pangolin coronavirus. While the exact nature of the recombination and spillover into humans is still being studied, these viral similarities suggest that SARS-CoV-2 evolved in nature and was not made in a laboratory. Early press reports, some even filmed outside a Wuhan wet market, led the public to believe with certainty that exposure to the virus had occurred inside the wet market. But epidemiologic and genetic analysis have found earlier cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in people with no apparent connection to the wet market. It's important to debunk misinformation and disinformation about the origins of disease to protect those groups that are inappropriately, and sometimes dangerously, blamed for the contagion. "
Can COVID-19 be transmitted by a person who shows no symptoms?
From the COVID-19 Expert Database: Yes. According to current evidence, it is believed that people with no symptoms, who may be either asymptomatic or presymptomatic, are playing a major role in the transmission of COVID-19. That means symptom-based screening alone is unlikely to detect all of the infectious cases and control the transmission of COVID-19. The "incubation period" of COVID-19, which is the period between a person's exposure to the virus and the first sign of their symptoms (if they develop any at all) ranges from 5 to 14 days. Some people may be contagious during this 5-14 day incubation period, before they have symptoms, making those cases "pre-symptomatic." Others may never show symptoms at all and are called "asymptomatic." Asymptomatic people are still contagious throughout the time they are infected with the virus, until their body clears it.
Seema says: "SARS-CoV-2 can spread from infected people who show no signs or symptoms of illness. This is an important piece of information to clarify for two key reasons. First, the scientific understanding of disease spread has shifted drastically in the past two months. In February, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease - a trusted expert on epidemics - said asymptomatic transmission has “never been the driver” of epidemics. This sentiment changed in March with new evidence that 25-50% of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 may not experience symptoms. Coupled with evidence that talking or even breathing can generate virus-laden droplets, this evidence about asymptomatic people has raised concerns that someone who feels healthy may presume they are not contagious, and might leave their home and engage with other susceptible people more frequently. In general, virus spread is faciliated by coughing and sneezing - behaviors that help virus particles travel farther. But the rapid global spread of SARS-CoV-2, and resurgence of new outbreaks after shelter-in-place orders are lifted, warrants caution about the role of asymptomatic spreaders in the pandemic. Second, as more states and countries lift shelter-in-place orders -presuming the first wave has subsided - many more asymptomatic but infected people have the opportunity to interact with others."
Does wearing gloves protect against or stop the spread of COVID-19?
From the COVID-19 Expert Database: While not as effective as 20 seconds of hand washing with soap and water, wearing new and sterile gloves and disposing of them correctly can help you avoid touching an infected surface or item with your bare hands. But keep in mind that gloves can only prevent infection if you don't touch your face with your gloved hands, and if you take off the gloves correctly before washing your hands.
Seema says: "It is crucial to reiterate the role of personal protective equipment, including PPE's abilities and limitations in protecting against infection. Gloves can be a helpful barrier between infected surfaces, infected people and the viral entry points, such as mucus membranes, of the person wearing the gloves. But there are important caveats. Gloves must be put on and taken off carefully so as to not cause cross contamination. Gloves can facilitate the spread of virus particles if they confer a sense of false security to the wearer, for instance a person with access to gloves might presume they can leave the house more frequently and not face a higher chance of infection. A person wearing gloves might touch a contaminated surface and touch their nose or mouth, allowing the virus to enter their body and cause infection. Many countries face PPE shortages meaning available resources are reserved for healthcare workers and first responders. This means members of the public may reuse gloves many times and contaminate their hands while putting on previously used gloves. Detailing the limitations of PPE, particularly in the context of PPE shortages, can help people make informed decisions about leaving the house and coming into contact with others. It's important that PPE such as gloves are used responsibly, appropriately and that wearers understand the limits of protection."
Are these highlights helpful to your fact-checking, reporting or even your general understanding of the science surrounding the pandemic? If so, get in touch with us at health@meedan.com to learn more about how you can get our full database of answers from experts. And now, back to regularly scheduled programming—you didn't think we were going to leave you hanging on the week's top stories, did you?
Top stories
Ethics and Reporting Practices for COVID-19 (Data & Society: Points)
In the context of COVID-19, we've been talking about the importance of collaborating with public health experts and scientists for newsworthy insights and evidence. Here's a piece that talks about giving researchers and scientists more agency to contribute to the narrative with precision and clarity.
"Journalists should ask scientific researchers and public health experts, who are sources, to contribute to the narrative instead of just offering quotes. Ask them to read stories in a sort of peer-review process before publication to ensure accuracy of the concepts communicated. A well-meaning journalist with little science background may misunderstand a concept, and use a quote to confirm their understanding." - Data & Society, Smitha Khorana
Facebook Banned Mask Ads. They're Still Running. (BuzzFeed News)
“Stop buying face masks now!” warned the video ad placed on March 22 via a Facebook page called “Dontgoout.” The ad continued with a slew of false claims, such as saying that the 'C.D.C Surgeon General' warned that normal face masks wouldn’t help stop the spread of the coronavirus. There is no CDC Surgeon General, and if there were, such a suggestion would fly in the face of the scientific consensus that masks work. The ad hawked the "N95 BreathPro mask," which it falsely called the “only face mask in the world that can fully protect you from bacteria and viruses.” The video said the mask's creator was “Advanced Materials Professor” Hiroshi Mikitani, described as the largest surgical mask manufacturer in Japan. No such person exists, although Hiroshi Mikitani is the name of the billionaire Japanese founder and CEO of e-commerce site Rakuten.
"Facebook’s inability to enforce its mask ad ban is a symptom of the company’s larger failure to police the scammers and shady e-commerce operators who use its powerful ad targeting tools to rip off people at scale." - Craig Silverman, Buzzfeed News
The Internet Archive is warning users about debunked ‘zombie’ coronavirus misinformation (The Verge)
The Internet Archive is alerting users when they’ve clicked on some stories that were debunked or taken down on the live web, following reports that people were spreading false coronavirus information through its Wayback Machine. The site includes a bright banner on one popular Medium post that was removed as misinformation. Its video archive also creates friction by making users log in to see some videos containing false information.
"It’s not clear how effective these warnings will be. Web platforms are still gauging when content alerts can help people avoid false information and when they might spark a backlash among users who don’t trust official sources. There are other web caching sites that let people preserve and share deleted content. On the Internet Archive, fans of a video can leave glowing reviews that sit alongside or above Graham’s fact-check. But the changes demonstrate that the Internet Archive is officially recognizing coronavirus misinformation as a problem and looking for ways to mitigate it." - Adi Robertson
Misinformation at the pulpit (Rest of World)
Nigerians tend to trust religious leaders more than government officials — and during a pandemic, that could be disastrous. Of its roughly 240 million citizens, approximately 70 million are Christians, and a fast-growing number identify as Pentecostal. Pastors wield an incredible amount of influence, and in gleaming megachurches all across the country, faithful followers hang on their every word. On April 5, in a television studio just outside Lagos, Nigeria, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome claimed 5G was responsible for the deaths in Wuhan. This article looks at reasons behind the popularity of religious leaders like Oyakhilome in Nigeria. The use of fake news and technology are significant factors.
“When trusted and powerful men of God venture an opinion, their followers tend to see it as sacrosanct and sacred, even over the government.” - Dennis Erezi, Rest of World
A tribute to Rizwana Tabassum, an accomplished local journalist (Khabar Lahariya)
Rizwana Tabassum, a young and accomplished journalist in Varanasi district of India, passed away on May 4. Rizwana fought many social barriers to study journalism, and threw herself into work as an independent journalist. She reported diligently for Khabar Lahariya, India's only digital rural news network that's run by women. Rizwana traveled across towns and rural districts of North India to do bold and fearless stories of all kinds. She reported and wrote on the rights of those most marginalised. She loved to read and thrived in trainings, on journalism, writing, digital media, storytelling, it brought new passion and insights to her work. She wrote for numerous well-known publications and platforms. With her death, the world of Indian journalism has lost a promising young woman journalist.
"We feel immensely proud to have worked with her, and to have experienced her passion for journalism firsthand. The grief at her loss is unbearable. Yet, her memory will be layered with the strength of her commitment and her journalism, the joy of the moments we shared as friends and co-travelers, and it is this that will help us through this difficult time. That she was distinct from the rest, this we will always remember." - Khabar Lahariya team