Essay on Navigating the Infodemic: Impact of Online Misinformation on Public Perception of the COVID-19 Pandemic

According to a study by Cuan-Baltazar, the Internet is a powerful source of medical knowledge. The internet is flooded with misleading information. This information has been passed and accessed by individuals globally. The article's main reason was to research the information passed online about the disease. Currently, the coronavirus content is the one that is on the daily news on internet sources. Cuan-Baltazar uses internet sources as the basing method to research the topic. The search tag he used was Coronavirus. This search was done way back on February 6, 2020. During the time of the search, the docking of the websites was not as high as the latest websites. The coronavirus infection is increasing globally. Was indeed challenging to quantify the morbidity and mortality level since milder infections weren't diagnosed; however, on March 5, 2020, the World Health Organization reported that the recent international mortality rate for the infection was 3.4 percent, and about 80 percent of COVID-19 reports are moderate. A virus is classified in the Coronaviridae family and found in people who eat seafood and feral creatures. A study by the University of Guangzhou has proposed that the transitional vector for bats and people might be pangolins. Pangolins are a species used for herbal medicine in China.

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Wrong information has been spreading faster than the virus itself due to the internet, according to Cuan-Baltazar. The disease was discovered to be spread through saliva droplets or nostril fluid if an infected person coughs or sneezes. The infected person's symptoms are headache, common cold, breathing shortness, flu, fever, and diarrhea. International traveling was banned to stop the spread of disease, and people had to stay in Quarantine in their countries. 5G is an old version of the 4G and 3G networks. As Rodgers researched in his paper, people have been misinformed about the connection between the virus and the network. Theories have been spreading concerning network transformation. 5G network introduction comes with the disease as some of the people suggested. The issue of the internet and disease is not practical; however, to some extent, a layperson can say that moving from 4G to 5G comes with the disease (Rodgers & Massac, 2020). It is mythical to say that an individual cannot boost his/her immune system and avoid the Coronavirus. Manuel Kohnstamm started by defining the new 5 G dispute as a "modern iteration of an old argument" that covered GSM, 3 G, and 4G. What is fresh, nevertheless, is the social networking bubble that feeds into claims of conspiracy, the strategic and security issues concerning 5 G technology, and the COVID-19 issue. In one powerful false narrative, all these have come together.

The studies have confirmed that the pandemic has affected the economy of most countries. Most of the states have spent most of their time and money to take care of the infected people and alleviate the disease spread in the country. Countries have lost indigenous people, contributing to the decline of the countries' economies and welfare (Cuan-Baltazar et al., 2020). WHO has given funds to help people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the diseases causing death globally. Countries in the world are trying to eradicate the spread of the disease, and this includes Brunei Darussalam.

The misconception about vaccines arrived in the current society and spread first. The method and the reason behind the high spread of the myth are social media platforms like the mass media, WhatsApp, and Facebook. The high population of individuals is active online, especially the youth. When this message is passed from one source, reaching another source is very easy. The media plays a vital role in the community as it is the easiest and the most reliable way to pass the message to many people. Biotechnology researchers are now designing the development methods that can be used if the new vaccine is significant while passing through clinical trials. For certain forms of vaccines used in huge numbers, these methods then undergo major scale-up to allow the manufacturing of several millions of doses.

It is an overwhelming task, as the transition from research to production plant is too complicated and must ensure continuity in the vaccine formulation and safety and effectiveness profiles. As designing the marketing plan can be a multi-year project, biopharmaceutical companies are still seeking to expand their manufacturing ability.

Conclusion

In conclusion, before passing information on social media, it is advisable to prove the authenticity of the information and know the source. The reason behind counter-checking is to avoid misleading a large group of individuals. Social media is the heavily affected part of passing myths about Coronavirus. Before posting comments on social media or trusting material online, it advises you to ask yourself some simple questions. It is a myth to say that the 5G network is connected to the disease. A vaccine exists and is still in the testing phase. Also, according to Rogers in his journal, we can indeed say that there is no connection between 5G and Coronavirus is null. The coronavirus vaccine is used in some parts of Africa for tests. Countries like Madagascar are among the countries where the vaccine is believed to have started working.

References

Cuan-Baltazar, J., Muñoz-Perez, M., Robledo-Vega, C., Pérez-Zepeda, M., & Soto-Vega, E. (2020). Misinformation of COVID-19 on the Internet: Infodemiology Study. JMIR Public Health And Surveillance, 6(2), e18444. https://doi.org/10.2196/18444

Rodgers, K., & Massac, N. (2020). Misinformation. Journal Of Public Health Management And Practice, 26(3), 294-296. https://doi.org/10.1097/phh.0000000000001163