Islamophobia on social media & addressing fake news in Africa and Brazil
It's almost the end of another month; we've been in lockdown for over two months now. As several countries are setting out schedules for reopening businesses, we're beginning to see unverified information on lockdown exit strategies, misleading reports on reopening of schools and shops and false alerts on extension of lockdown. As if misinformation on COVID-19 was not enough, this week, locusts didn't buzz into Delhi or Mumbai, as expected, but we were attacked by swarms of fake messages on WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter. Never a dull moment on social media platforms during the lockdown!
This week we take a look at a new report highlighting Islamophobia on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have an update on the inspiring work of African women journalists who are combating COVID-19 misinformation on the radio and sexist behaviour on the ground. In this week's newsletter, our in-house expert Dr Seema Yasmin brings you the latest highlights from Meedan's COVID-19 Expert Database.
Stay safe and happy reading!
Top COVID-19 questions
Journalist and medical doctor, Dr. Seema Yasmin shares weekly highlights from Meedan's COVID-19 Expert Database
Does BCG vaccine protect against COVID-19?
From the COVID-19 Expert Database: The BCG vaccine, or the Bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccine, is a vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) disease. This vaccine is used in many countries that have high rates of tuberculosis in order to prevent the disease from spreading. As public health researchers try and understand the low case numbers and death count in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South-East Asia from COVID-19, hypotheses have emerged about the protective power of the BCG vaccine against the COVID-10, because of a correlation between countries where the BCG vaccine is widely used and the low number of COVID-19 cases reported in those countries. The latest study published on this topic does not support the idea that BCG vaccination in childhood has a protective effect against COVID-19 in adulthood. More studies are underway as it's still not clear yet how the BCG vaccine interacts with COVID-19.
Seema says: "In the absence of a COVID-19 vaccine, news headlines claimed that a century-old anti-tuberculosis vaccine, BCG, might protect against the new coronavirus. This news was sparked by reports that infection rates were supposedly lower in countries with BCG vaccination campaigns and that researchers in the Netherlands and Australia were studying its effectiveness against COVID-19. While the latter part is true, and some scientists hope the vaccine will prove effective against COVID-19, veteran TB experts believe the vaccine is being overhyped. BCG is known to help the immune system fight off a multitude of infections, but it is not proven to work against COVID-19, and according to some TB experts, it is unlikely to prove effective. In the meantime, reports of BCG as a stand-in COVID-19 vaccine have the potential to give a false sense of security to those who received the vaccine, and a false sense of hope to others."
What are the three phases of vaccine testing?
From the COVID-19 Expert Database: Substantial research needs to be completed by a company before a potential vaccine undergoes phased testing. Once it gets to that stage, there are three research phases before the vaccine can be deployed for use. During the first stage (Phase I), the new vaccine is provided to small groups of people—the first time the vaccine is tested in humans. The second stage (Phase II) involves testing the vaccine on people who have similar characteristics (such as age and physical health) to the target population, or the group for which the vaccine is intended. The goal of this stage is to identify the most effective dosages and schedule for Phase III trials. The final stage (Phase III) provides the vaccine to thousands of people from the target population to see how safe and effective it is. Once the vaccine clears this last stage, the manufacturer can apply for a license from regulatory authorities (like the FDA) to market for human use. Sometimes medications that have already been approved by the FDA in clinical trials will enter into a Phase IV trial. This phase focuses on potential side effects from the vaccine or medication that were not seen in the first three phases. This phase also helps researchers understand how well a vaccine works over a longer time frame and how safe it is, often with thousands of people over several years. Phase IV is also called a 'post-marketing surveillance' trial.
Seema says: "Peeling back the curtain on the sometimes decades-long vaccine development process can better manage expectations about a potential COVID-19 vaccine, and help counter false narratives about vaccine safety. The fastest vaccine developed in the U.S. was the mumps vaccine which took four years to study and manufacture. COVID-19 vaccine development is happening at an unprecedented rate with usually staggered phases - such as preclinical (animal) testing and clinical (human) testing - occurring simultaneously. This can both excite and alarm the public. Explaining the vaccine development process, including the three phases of clinical testing, and the often prolonged scaling up and manufacturing process, could lead to increased vaccine uptake if a vaccine becomes available, set realistic expectations, and help build resilience to anti-vaccine messages."
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
From the COVID-19 Expert Database: COVID-19 can impact people in different ways, but most people who are infected with the virus will only have mild to moderate symptoms and won't need to be hospitalized. Most cases of the virus are not dangerous, but should be taken seriously. The World Health Organization says the most common symptoms are:
fever
dry cough
tiredness
Symptoms fewer people have include:
aches and pains
sore throat
diarrhea
conjunctivitis
headache
loss of taste or smell
a rash on skin, or discoloration of fingers or toes
Symptoms that are serious and mean people should contact a medical professional as soon as possible include:
difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
chest pain or pressure
loss of speech or movement
Because we are learning more about this virus every day, including new symptoms, it is important to pay attention to what your body is feeling and contact a medical professional if you begin to experience any of the above symptoms or notice any other changes in how you normally feel.
Seema says: "As our understanding of this new disease has evolved, so has the list of symptoms. Loss of smell and loss of taste have been added to symptom lists by some authorities, while a study that found 70 percent of people sick enough to be hospitalized with COVID-19 did not have fever, caused concern about the inclusion of fever as a key symptom. (In some places, people have been turned away from testing centers simply because they did not report a fever). We are still learning about manifestations of COVID-19, including rare but severe disease in children, and symptoms such as "COVID toes," which currently lack explanation. Clarifying which symptoms are associated with COVID-19 and describing the quickly evolving nature of the clinical situation can help guide people to better use health services."
Top stories
Islamophobic disinformation and hate speech has swamped social media during the coronavirus pandemic (Coda Story)
A report published by Equality Labs, a New York-based South Asian community advocacy group shows that a series of Twitter hashtags falsely accusing Muslims around the world of deliberately spreading the novel coronavirus has pushed Islamophobic disinformation and hate speech to 170 million users since the outbreak of the pandemic. According to the report, the hashtag #Coronajihad has run rampant on Twitter since late March. Posts featuring the hashtag and a range of anti-Muslim rhetoric have also been shared widely on platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.
“What happens on social media matters. When platforms like Twitter fail in responding to addressing hate speech and disinformation in a timely manner, there are consequences. This was a preventable tragedy.” Thenmozhi Soundararajan, executive director, Equality Labs
Africa's female journalists use radio to dispel coronavirus fake news and sexism (Reuters)
Across the African continent, 54% of the youth use radio as their main news source, and most - 81% - find local media more trustworthy than international, according to a pan-African survey by the South African-based Ichikowitz Family Foundation. From rural villages in Malawi to the war-torn streets of north-west Cameroon, rising numbers of female radio hosts are taking to the air to dispel fake news and myths about the novel coronavirus whilst also tackling sexism. Amid the urgency to get accurate coronavirus information out to listeners, these female radio hosts said they also share another experience - regular sexual advances from male sources.
We are made to feel objectified, and have to work extra hard to prove we can pull off a good story as well as our male colleagues.” Maikem Emmanuela Kimah, Cameroonian radio host and station manager for Ndefcam Radio
Movimento expõe empresas do Brasil que financiam, via anúncios, sites de extrema direita e notícias falsas (El Pais)
Movement exposes companies in Brazil that finance far-right sites and fake news via ads.
Inspired by a US model, the Brazilian version of the Sleeping Giants account alerts companies about advertising on pages that help spread misinformation. Banco do Brasil, Dell, O Boticário, Submarino and Telecine withdrew advertising. While the original North American account is defined as “a movement to make fanaticism and sexism less profitable”, the profile adapted to the Brazilian political context aims to “prevent prejudiced or fake news sites from monetising through advertising”. In a short time of operation, Sleeping Giants Brasil has already made possible for six companies to commit to reviewing their ad policies via Google.
“I always thought about ways to fight fake news, but I had never an efficient one until I discovered this simple way." The administrator of the Brazilian version, which, in just two days, gained more than 20,000 followers. For security reasons, he prefers not to identify himself.