Is it time for medical codes for misinformation? One doctor thinks so.
As the pandemic tapers in some parts of the world and surges in others, doctors have taken it upon themselves to debunk misinformation, both for their own patients and for the broader public, through online platforms. Some of those platforms, as you'll read in this newsletter, aren't making it very easy for high-quality information to bubble up to the top of their algorithms.
We know the amount of news and content on COVID-19 is more than any of us can reasonably handle. Feeling overwhelmed? Anxious about the online world? Unsettled by the proliferation of fake news? We're hosting a talk this week about online mindfulness with the author of the new book "Keep Calm and Log On," Gus Andrews. Please sign up here!
And now, your regularly scheduled round up of COVID-19 highlights and news updates.
Top COVID-19 questions
Journalist and medical doctor, Dr. Seema Yasmin shares weekly highlights from Meedan's public health journalism tool, learnaboutcovid19.org.
Can someone get reinfected and get COVID-19 a second time?
Dr. Seema says: "It is currently unknown if people who have recovered from COVID-19 are protected from a second infection. How long antibodies might persist, how protective they might be, and the role of B and T cells, is not understood. While it’s frustrating to address scientific uncertainty, it’s important to clarify what is understood and which questions remain unanswered. Covid-19 survivors might otherwise assume immunity after infection but could still be vulnerable to getting sick a second time. Political leaders in some countries have used the shifting scientific knowledge base to undermine scientists and the research process, citing earlier analyses that were later modified, as evidence that science “gets things wrong.” Science is a process of discovery, not a bunch of static facts. New evidence is gathered and analyzed each day, expanding our understanding of the virus. It can be helpful for the public to understand the scientific research process in order to contextualize new findings and not lose trust in scientists." (More information from our experts here)
Is it true that India's Bharat Biotech is not too far away from finding a vaccine for COVID-19 as they have now been approved for human trials?
Dr. Seema says: "Covid-19 vaccine goals are the most ambitious in vaccine history. The U.S. government and the World Health Organization are some of those who aim to deliver hundreds of millions of doses of safe and effective vaccines by early 2021, although no vaccine is currently proven to work against the virus. These ambitious goals and the unprecedented rate of scientific achievement and collaboration can make a vaccine seem like a certainty. But there’s no guarantee that even a single vaccine will be delivered by early 2021 or that millions of doses could be manufactured in that timeframe. These ambitious goals can fuel distrust in the scientific process (“If it usually takes decades to develop a vaccine, what are scientists doing to accelerate a usually slow, rigorous and safety-focused process?”). These goals can also fuel high expectations and rumors of an imminent vaccine. If a vaccine isn't available by early next year, public health countermeasures such as sheltering-in-place and mask-wearing might still be needed in areas with high transmission." (More information from our experts here)
Why does COVID-19 make some people sick for months?
Dr. Seema says: "Around eighty percent of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 are believed to suffer mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. For those who do feel ill, the majority report symptoms that last for two to six weeks. But in some patients — including young, previously healthy people — symptoms might persist for more than two or three months, according to new case reports from British, Canadian and American doctors. Some are referring to these patients as COVID-19 “long haulers,” and scientists are investigating why they experience fatigue, breathlessness, and other symptoms for upwards of seventy days. It’s still unclear why some people get sicker than others and who is at risk of suffering symptoms for many months after infection. Scientists are studying both the virus and our bodies for answers. Thousands of long haulers have been enrolled in studies to examine their genes and immune systems in hopes of providing some answers." (More information from our experts here)
Top stories
It's time to assign misinformation a diagnostic code. (Huffington Post)
Doctors are trying to tackle misinformation amongst patients, who are panicked and confused, and in some cases doing things like ingesting harsh chemicals or overdosing on herbal treatments because of misinformation online. One doctor suggests, in Huffington Post, that misinformation needs its own medical code. A misinformation medical code would give patients dedicated appointments to address their questions, allot reimbursement to providers for time spent dispelling that misinformation, and encourage training to better guide patients about the virus, writes Dr. Asha Shajahan.
"As a primary care physician, I do myth-busting during nearly 90% percent of my video visits; about 80% of my patients’ have scheduled appointments just for information on COVID-19. Rather than diagnosing and treating, my work has evolved into directing patients to credible resources like the CDC and the World Health Organization’s mythbuster page. Still, patients wanted to get the facts from me, a physician on the front lines. They asked questions like, “Doctor, I read that vitamin D, zinc and vitamin C will kill the virus. I’ve been taking double the recommended dose. Do I still need to wear a mask?” I guide patients to look at an article’s date, the author’s background and show them how to search to see if a conclusion appears consistently in various reliable sources. Essentially, I try to teach them how to sort through misinformation, a skill that now has a direct impact on their health outcomes. " — Dr. Asha Shajahan, Huffington Post
Biased algorithms on platforms like YouTube hurt people looking for information on health (Nieman Lab)
A user with greater health literacy is more likely to discover usable medical advice from a reputed health care provider, such as the Mayo Clinic, according to findings by researcher Anjana Susarla. Susarla, a professor of information systems has examined how social media platforms such as YouTube widen health literacy disparities by steering users toward questionable content. Susarla extracted thousands of videos purporting to be about diabetes and verified whether the information shown conforms to valid medical guidelines. The most popular and engaging videos, perhaps unsurprisingly, appeared to be significantly less likely to have medically valid information.
"Based on how digital platforms provide information to search queries, a user with greater health literacy is more likely to discover usable medical advice from a reputed health care provider, such as the Mayo Clinic. The same algorithm will steer a less literate user toward fake cures or misleading medical advice.
This could be especially harmful for minority groups. Studies of health literacy in the United States have found that the impact of limited health literacy disproportionately impacts minorities." — Anjana Susarla, Nieman Lab
What’s new at Meedan
Book Talk and Webinar: Keep Calm and Log On with author Gus Andrews
Join Keep Calm and Log On author Gus Andrews in conversation with Memes to Movements author An Xiao Mina about her new book, published by MIT Press.
Thursday, 23 July, 2020. Live on Zoom
Register now to sign up for the Zoom event
Meedan's Latin America Strategy
In 2021 we aim to expand our support to new partners and initiatives in regions of Latin America like the Northern Triangle (Honduras, Salvador and Guatemala) that in the last decade have seen violence escalate since a wave of street gang members deported from prisons in the USA arrived in El Salvador. This and years of unrest has started waves of migration that have resulted in millions of people seeking better living conditions.