Find in Library
Search millions of books, articles, and more
Indexed Open Access Databases
Battling the COVID-19 infodemic in an Irish context: the role of iHealthFacts [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]
oleh: Marina Zaki, Declan Devane, Thomas Conway, Sandra Galvin, Nikita Burke, Elaine Finucane
| Format: | Article |
|---|---|
| Diterbitkan: | F1000 Research Ltd 2020-11-01 |
Deskripsi
On the 11th of March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a global pandemic due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This was one month after Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO declared that we are also fighting an ‘infodemic’. The WHO has described an infodemic as an “over-abundance of information – some accurate and some not – that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it”. iHealthFacts.ie is an Irish resource where the public can quickly and easily check the credibility and reliability of health claims circulating on social media. Unreliable claims can lead to poorly informed health choices. iHealthFacts is an initiative that supports the public to think critically about health claims and make well-informed choices. Here, we describe the role iHealthFacts plays in providing reliable information to the public and offer reflections from those involved in launching this initiative during a pandemic.