The infodemic crisis: A threat to science, society, and sanity

Dr. Chinta Mani Sharma

(Principal, Biswanath College)

It would not be an exaggeration to say that, nowadays, instead of disseminating truthful and rational news, certain malicious or unscrupulous groups have made it very common to create fabricated news videos and upload them on social media platforms like WhatsApp, Threads, Facebook, and Twitter. Every day, numerous misleading and unbelievable news items are uploaded. Since the onset of COVID-19, various factual or seemingly factual video clips related to COVID have been widely circulated on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and similar platforms.

For ordinary people, it has become extremely difficult to distinguish between false and misleading news and sources that are trustworthy and credible. The news or videos uploaded are presented in such a way that everything appears to be true. During the COVID outbreak, some frightening news was circulated on social media to instill fear in people, while elsewhere, claims that simple remedies or natural medicines could cure coronaviruswere promoted to give people hope.

Whether online or offline, our society is now being surrounded on all sides by false propaganda and fake news. According to a research paper published by the National Academy of Sciences in the USA, about 90% of people who believe they can easily identify fake news have failed to do so. The paper mentions that today, fake news headlines and content are presented so attractively that even highly educated people forward them to others without any critical thought.

Due to technological advancements, pandemic-related news spreads quickly, but fake news related to pandemics spreads even faster worldwide. A pandemic is called an ‘epidemic’ in English.

The process of spreading false and misleading news during a pandemic is called an ‘infodemic’ in English. Since the COVID era, the word ‘infodemic’ has become extremely significant. The word ‘infodemic’ is formed by combining ‘information’ and ‘epidemic.’ In 2003, journalist and political analyst David Rothkopf first used this term in a column in The Washington Post. Since the COVID era, the popularity of this word has increased even more.

Because of the widespread dissemination of incredible and baseless news related to COVID, it became very difficult for ordinary people to overcome the COVID problems. People found it very hard to distinguish between true and false news. At a time when vaccines were critically needed to survive the severe impact of COVID, misleading news about vaccines was also widely spread. This caused doubt in people’s minds about whether they should get vaccinated or not. We have seen such problems in our own surroundings as well. During the spread of such misleading news, one such viral news item created fear and suspicion in many people. For example, a fake news story was spread using the name and photo of Luc Montagnier, a joint recipient of the Nobel Prize in 2008 in Physiology and Medicine for the discovery of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, making it appear as though he had made certain claims. Using Luc Montagnier’s photo very cleverly, news was spread to create panic among people, falsely claiming that he had concluded through research that those who received the COVID-19 vaccine would die within two years. It was also falsely reported that people who received the vaccine would inevitably die and that preparations for their funerals should begin immediately. After hearing such news, many people hesitated to get vaccinated due to fear and doubt. Such misleading news, which instilled fear of death, caused many to avoid vaccination. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised such vaccine-related doubts and misinformation as one of the top ten threats to global health.

There were also many misleading and confusing news stories on social media about how long after the first dose of the COVID vaccine the second dose should be taken, causing confusion among the public. In reality, in India, the recommended interval between the first and second doses of Covishield was 8 to 16 weeks, and for Covaxin, it was generally 4 to 6 weeks. Such confusion and misinformation left many people bewildered, and some could not get the second dose on time. According to a study published in the Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, many people around the world died due to unwanted, fear-mongering, and misleading news during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, during the pandemic, the false belief that drinking strong alcohol could make the body virus-free led to the deaths of 800 people.

During the pandemic, the misleading news that “applying or consuming alcohol on the body destroys the coronavirus” was widely spread on social media. Many people started applying alcohol to their bodies, but scientifically, this does not destroy the virus in any way. Similarly, the false notion that “consuming methanol in hand sanitiser can protect against coronavirus” also put many at serious risk. As a result of such misinformation, 5,900 people became seriously ill after consuming sanitiser, and 60 of them lost their eyesight. Methanol is toxic, and its consumption can be fatal.

In India, during the pandemic, many people did not hesitate to consume cow urine and dung in the hope of being protected from coronavirus. Similarly, under the influence of the infodemic, some people in Saudi Arabia consumed camel urine mixed with lime, hoping to survive COVID. The internet and social media have made many people self-proclaimed doctors, scientists, epidemiologists, or know-it-alls, and there is no shortage of people who believe whatever these individuals say online. With the use of advanced digital technology, misleading and fake news is spread so convincingly that not only the uneducated but even the educated become confused and fall into the trap. In India, during the COVID period, many self-styled experts spread the idea on Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, YouTube, etc., that oxygen saturation levels in the body could be increased naturally at home, which caused further confusion among people, and many are still not fully free from such misconceptions.

During the pandemic, many people adopted unscientific remedies such as consuming herbal medicines, putting lemon juice in the nose, or believing that nebulisers and yoga could increase oxygen saturation levels in the body. Such unscientific practices led many to face serious health problems. It is now necessary to protect ourselves from such life-threatening infodemics. It is essential to run public awareness campaigns on information literacy so that people do not fall victim to infodemics.

In mid-2020, a highly unscientific news story was widely circulated—that consuming cow urine could protect against coronavirus. This infodemic spread so much that Swami Chakrapani, president of the All India Hindu Mahasabha in Delhi, even organized a cow urine party. Such misinformation has increased confusion and risk in society, so promoting information literacy and scientific thinking is essential.

Cows were worshipped, and rituals (yajnas) were performed. Posters at the ritual site claimed that Lord Narasimha, a Hindu deity, had incarnated on earth as the coronavirus to destroy those who eat fish and meat. In a press conference, Swami Chakrapani stated that world leaders should benefit from the urine of advanced Indian breeds of cows and declared that only the urine of Indian cows is effective in eliminating coronavirus. In February 2020, another misleading news story caused widespread concern. Those involved in the poultry business suffered greatly. The rumour that “eating chicken meat or eggs increases the likelihood of contracting coronavirus” led to the poultry business being shut down for three months. Live broiler chickens had to be buried, and the poultry industry suffered a loss of 22,500 crore rupees in February alone in that year.

According to the National Health Portal of the Government of India, the infodemic affects the health of ordinary people in various ways. It makes it difficult for people to understand accurate and authentic public health information and advice. Infodemic contributes to increased anxiety, mental depression, and health-related problems. It spreads confusion among the public, gives dangerous advice, and creates unwanted problems. Infodemics can lead to division, violence, and hatred in society, weakening the social structure. It can also affect coordination among different communities in a diverse society. Exaggerated news during the pandemic increased people’s mental stress and anxiety, deeply impacting daily life, as shown by various studies. According to a study published in the Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 80% of participants experienced emotional distress related to COVID, while two-thirds felt highly anxious after seeing misleading news on social media. Another report confirmed that, during the lockdown from March 19 to May 2, 2020, more than 300 people lost their lives, with 80 of them committing suicide due to fear, doubt, or loneliness related to COVID-19.

Recognising the dangerous spread of the infodemic, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated in March 2020 that COVID-19 is a common enemy of the world today, and the infodemic of misleading news about COVID-19 is also our common enemy.

To survive this enemy called the infodemic, we must move forward with facts and science, adopting a scientific mindset, and face it together in unity to overcome despair and division. The World Health Organisation has also called for protection from COVID-related misinformation, i.e., the infodemic. Various measures have been taken, and public awareness campaigns have been launched to prevent the spread of misleading health news and anxiety-inducing information among the public.

One thing is clear—the infodemic cannot be completely eradicated, but with systematic management, we can create an environment where its impact does not become widespread. The method of moving forward by managing the infodemic is called “infodemiology.” Timely, accurate technical guidance, scientific summaries, regular press briefings, and preventing baseless rumours from being disseminated in the mass media all fall under infodemic management. It would not be an exaggeration to say that if educated individuals properly explain timely and accurate health information to the uneducated or semi-educated in society, those people can be kept away from the harmful effects of the infodemic.