British Columbia researchers are going to be looking at people鈥檚 susceptibility to COVID-19, the transmission routes the virus takes and also searching for a vaccine.
But they鈥檙e also researching the 鈥渋nfodemic鈥� that鈥檚 accompanying the pandemic. That鈥檚 the ocean of virus-related information we鈥檙e all drowning in.
It鈥檚 a common phenomenon in any big emergency, but it鈥檚 intensified over the last two decades of social media growth.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said one of the 鈥渋nteresting things that we're working on,鈥� is understanding how the infodemic shapes attitudes.
鈥淭he myriad information that is out there on social media, on other platforms, and how that impacts people's behaviours through this pandemic.鈥�
It will be a fascinating read. Especially if they don鈥檛 pull any punches and call BS when they see it.
The vast majority of information online is straight media coverage and well-meant advice or questions that arise from the hive.
But the number of second-guessing know-it-alls whose epidemiology experience amounts to a few Google searches is running at an all-time high.
Delving into whatever impact they鈥檙e having might be a valuable exercise.
People are perfectly entitled to weigh in on any aspect of the government鈥檚 response. In fact, scrutinizing that response carefully should be the default position.
But equally careful scrutiny is also needed of anyone who claims 鈥� often bursting with self-assurance 鈥� that: 鈥淭hey鈥檙e doing it all wrong.鈥�
sa国际传媒 enjoyed the pinnacle of amateur BS last week with the delusional hot yoga instructor who pitched that as a cure for the virus.
Then he started 鈥渋nvestigating鈥� if it was all a hoax, complete with selfie-videos.
They didn鈥檛 need much research before Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth called him a 鈥渘arcissistic idiot.鈥�
There is much more reasonable dissent on some specific issues. There鈥檚 been a spate of criticism of the virus testing regime, where more than 3,000 tests are done daily, focused mostly on high-risk populations 鈥� long term care homes and health workers.
A reader notified me the government wasn鈥檛 prepared and doesn鈥檛 have the resources.
Fair enough, but nobody on Earth was prepared for this.
He advocates 鈥渕assive daily testing of the entire population symptoms or not symptoms.鈥� But he鈥檚 short on the details of where to find millions of tests, and the immense loads of lab supplies to run them, and the hundreds more people needed to do all the work.
And what value is there in learning that the vast majority of people don鈥檛 have it? Would the temporary reassurance be worth all that effort?
The testing policy is still an interesting academic argument. But he also says the public is fed misinformation to lull them into having confidence in our leaders.
That鈥檚 the familiar launch point many use to turn doubts into conspiracy theories.
At the risk of being an apologist, I doubt it.
Elsewhere, a writer on a Kootenays website complained about 鈥渢he never-ending secrecy demonstrated by health officials.鈥漈his, after more than 40 consecutive daily consecutive briefings on COVID-19, where every question asked was answered.
His point was partly about the failure to identify every community where there鈥檚 been a positive test, which he said is part of longstanding practice to keep the public in the dark.
But what鈥檚 the value of knowing someone in your community has it? We鈥檙e already assuming everyone has it. Confirming a case in a community wouldn鈥檛 change behaviour by much.
And positive cases are already isolated to some extent, or in hospital.
There are also scattered arguments about the use of masks. There are perfectly legitimate questions about sa国际传媒鈥檚 policy on masks, particularly since it鈥檚 evolved slightly.
Wearing them was initially discouraged because there were and are a limited number of medical-grade ones and they鈥檙e needed by health care workers. Plus, the risk was lower then.
Henry has stressed they don鈥檛 protect the wearer, although they do limit transmission if the wearer is infected.
Now the national stance is that wearing non-medical masks is at least accepted, if not condoned.
Henry said it鈥檚 not a recommendation, but 鈥渁 permissive use, if you will.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an option ... we need to be very careful not to say that it鈥檚 required or recommended for everybody.鈥�
It鈥檚 still a free country, so argue all these points as you see fit. But do so on the basis of solid information.
