Misinformation Plays a Deadly role in Pandemics

Since health officials confirmed the first COVID-19 cases, misinformation has spread just as quickly as the virus. The problem of misinformation has been so widespread that it has its own word: “infodemic,” a portmanteau of “information” and “epidemic.” Coined by journalist David Rothkopf during the 2003 SARS outbreak, it describes a situation where “a few facts, mixed with fear, speculation and rumor, are amplified and relayed swiftly worldwide by modern information technologies.” The next pandemic is not a question of if - but when and where it will occur. Just as important as devising ways to detect emerging viruses is developing strategies to address the misinfodemics that will follow them. Read more from FastCompany here.