The anecdote in my message just now was incomplete. It should say:
As an illustration, during the COVID-19 pandemic a relative of mine forwarded a COVID misinformation to me and others in my family, thinking that it was reliable inforamtion when in fact it was clearly misinformation. It claimed to be from a board member at Stanford University. The message said that gargling or drinking warm water will help prevent coronavirus, and that holding breath for 10 seconds without coughing is a useful diagnostic sign. Notably the relative is a highly educated biosciences graduate...
Best wishes, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org
