Shining dawn in the COVID-19 pandemic

When we bring into light accurate and well-researched scientific information that can be easily understood by the public, we proactively drive the population to take action and incite changes to overcome not only the COVID-19 crisis, but also the surge of an infodemic with many cases of fake news.

Editorial Cartoon GIF by Marianne Barce

“We're not just fighting a pandemic; we're fighting an infodemic,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health of Organization (WHO) at the 2020 Munich Security Conference. In a tweet, António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General said via Twitter that “our common enemy is COVID-19, but our enemy is also an infodemic of misinformation.” WHO defines infodemic as “an overabundance of information—some accurate and some not—that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it.”

The role of science is now more critical than ever. The COVID-19 crisis has served as a wake-up call that understanding fundamental science concepts is essential in order to stay alive. People now ask questions related to the culprit: What is a virus? How does a virus spread? What is the cure for the virus? Such eagerness and curiosity fuel the promotion of public understanding of science only when coupled with reliable and effective science communication in a sea of misinformation and disinformation.

Aside from the threats of the virus, much of the uncertainty brought by the pandemic is connected to the extensive spread of misinformation and disinformation, endangering even more individuals all over the world. According to a study published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, hundreds of individuals may have died from drinking highly concentrated alcohol while thousands of Iranians were possibly hospitalized after consuming methanol with some going blind as a result of coronavirus-related false information that spread like the pandemic on social media. It was claimed that the affected citizens wrongly believed that drinking alcohol would disinfect their bodies and was the cure for COVID-19.

Our country is no exception. Over the last months, multiple hoax and misleading cures for COVID-19 surfaced on several social media platforms, particularly on Facebook and Twitter. Some of the ambiguous and fake remedies that spread online include ingesting aspirin, inhaling steam (tuob), or consuming more “alkaline” food, such as lemons, lime, and pineapple. While not all of them have harmful effects in humans, believing and deciding to do some of these “treatments” can still be life-threatening.

To prevent such dangerous consequences from occurring, the public must have at least a basic understanding of the science concepts that govern these false medications. For example, knowing concepts such as pH and how our bodies regulate pH would allow a person to recognize that the post about eating more “alkaline” food is incorrect. This is where the crucial role of communicating science effectively comes into play. Not everyone is well-versed with the sciences or was privileged enough to receive quality education. As the knowledgeable and influential members of the community, scientists and members of the media must work together and heed the call to proliferate accurate scientific information in an understandable manner.

Fortunately, several science institutions and organizations, together with the media here in the Philippines, have taken proactive measures in educating the public with easy-to-understand scientific information while combating the widespread proliferation of misinformation. Dir. Richard Burgos of the Department of Science and Technology - Science and Technology Information Institute (DOST-STII) said that they provided the “needed clarification and explanation at a critical time” to help Filipinos better understand the pandemic and in turn, respond appropriately. In fact, since April, DOST-STII has been providing up-to-date information about COVID-19 and their agency’s efforts against the crisis through their two virtual pressers: “DOST Report,” a weekly online news program every Friday at 4 p.m. on DOSTv Facebook page, and “DOST: Science for the People,” a mobile application for Android users.

Reporting trustworthy and scientifically-backed information lessens anxiety and confusion amongst the public. It also allows them to understand the importance of following the prescribed public health measures (e.g. social distancing, wearing of face mask and face shield, and frequent hand washing), and as a result, they help the frontliners in reducing the spread of the virus.

Despite the combined efforts of several groups to overcome both the pandemic and the infodemic of fake news, it is proven to be very difficult to proliferate the correct information when the head of the government himself is a source of false information (READ: Filipino chemists fact-check Duterte: Gasoline is not a disinfectant). It gets even harder when our president’s misconceptions are supported by his fellow officials (READ: Locsin thinks Duterte is right on gasoline as disinfectant).

Government authorities must recognize the influence of their rhetoric to the public and must take responsibility by properly educating themselves with fundamental scientific concepts and by consulting with scientific experts before issuing directives to the citizens. Only through recognizing the importance of science will the government be able to make correct decisions in order to win our fight against COVID-19. Consider for instance the government’s acceptance of participating in trials for a Russian COVID-19 vaccine that has not been tested and proven to be fully safe and effective, or the government’s plan in buying the cheapest COVID-19 vaccine available as the president believes that all vaccines are equally effective. With that, the public must also be aware of their power to call out those who lead over them, because not only one person is affected by every move the government makes. The entire population, particularly those less fortunate, will also be.

As citizens, let us use our power and voices to promote the importance of understanding science. We contribute to the attainment of this goal in our own ways. One is through fact checking posts we see on social media—even if the posts were from people we follow and idolize. Before clicking or sharing posts, we can do our part by reading beyond the headlines, and verifying that the content came from a reliable source. It does not take much to double check, but neglecting to do so may put our lives and those around us in danger. As such, let us report posts we suspect to be spreading fake news to the proper authorities. We also contribute by sharing science news or posts that educate people with the sciences. When we constantly spread scientific content, we engage ourselves and our fellow citizens in seeing that science is crucial for our survival and can be fun too. Each of our clicks and shares—no matter how seemingly small we think they are—make a huge impact together in reaching a wider audience and raising awareness to the crucial role of science. These simple acts that we do make a significant difference.

There is still a shining dawn, an illuminating hope, in this gloomy crisis our country faces. We see this golden light by proliferating reliable and scientifically-backed information that ignites the spark for the rise of vigilant and proactive Filipinos ready to emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic.