Warning COVID-19 Misinformation Could Kill You
Misinformation is at the center of news media these days, and with good reason. Unscrupulous people are using social media platforms to spread false information regarding the COVID-19 illness, the vaccine, and even the need for medical treatment.
The problem has now reached the point where people are dying unnecessarily. In a recent segment of the Daytime Emmy Award-winning CBS news show Sunday Morning, our very own Dr. Adriano Goffi, Director of Altus Hospital Lumberton, spoke about the tragic effects of misinformation.
When interviewer David Pogue asked how often he sees someone die of COVID, his response was shocking, “Almost every shift.”
We live in a tight-knit community. You likely know someone who has died from COVID-19, which makes the issue of fake information on the internet so much more personal.
Watch the Video: Warning COVID-19 Misinformation Could Kill You
Why Aren’t People Getting Vaccinated?
The vaccines are widely available, so why are people choosing not to get vaccinated? Unfortunately, the answer brings us back to misinformation.
As Doctor Goffi stated in the interview, Altus Emergency rooms are overrun with desperately sick, unvaccinated COVID-19 patients. During the month of August, Altus Lumberton Hospital treated more than 500 COVID-related illnesses.
Most of these patients refused the vaccine because of wrong, false, and misleading information they read on social media platforms.
When asked where people are getting this misinformation, Goffi said, “About 80 percent would come from Facebook.” He shared some of the reasons patients have for refusing the vaccine, such as “I read on Facebook it’s poison, It’s got tracking devices in me, and It makes cows sterile.”
Dr. Goffi expressed sadness and genuine concern for these individuals who trust these social media platforms to provide valid and truthful sources of information. “I feel really bad for individuals because if that is your source, it’s hard for them to separate reality and what is being fed to them.”
Pogue then went on to ask, “Do you have any impression of how reading this misinformation online affects the mindset of a patient?”
To which Dr. Goffi replied,
“It’s very powerful, and you can see it and feel it in individuals when they come in, and they get their swab, and they’re sick, and some people, some patients even decline treatment. It’s so powerful in them that they almost even deny COVID exists because of what they’ve read.”
What You Can Do To Avoid Falling Prey of Misinformation
According to a new report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, twelve anti-vaccine accounts are responsible for 65% of all the disinformation shared online.
What’s important to understand is that these individuals do not have any relevant medical expertise. Instead, they are abusing social media platforms to misrepresent the threat of COVID-19 and spread misinformation about the safety of the vaccines so they can push their own products and make a profit.
To protect yourself from misinformation, check the information against officials sites like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Texas Health and Human Services site.
Additionally, if you have a question regarding COVID-19, please feel free to contact us. Our board-trained physicians will be more than happy to help clarify your questions. Please email us at support@altusemergency.com with any of your questions.
If you or someone you know has a medical emergency, do not hesitate; remember that every moment counts.
Additionally, we offer Free Medical Screenings because your life is priceless.
At Altus, we have locations in Baytown, Lake Jackson, Lumberton, and Waxahachie safe, fast, and always open.
Altus Lumberton Hospital is located at 137 North LHS Drive, Lumberton, TX 77657. For more information on their services contact them via phone at 409-440-3621 or Contact Us.
