COVID-19: WINNING THE BATTLE AGAINST FAKE NEWS

"Fake news" has become a major term in discussion of current affairs.  It is a major barrier to dealing with COVID-19.

I have just carried out an analysis of official data on deaths published by the Office for National Statistics.  They count the death certificates, and also analyse the data by age, gender and reasons.

Taking the total number for the first thirty three weeks of 2020, and comparing it to the equivalent totals in the last five years, we get a comparison that is accurate.  As close to a fact as any fact I know.  Fact.

Yet I've had someone say it is "fake news", an acquaintance say it's part of a conspiracy and there's "better data" (as yet not forthcoming), and others question whether it is just my opinion.   But the data is fact.

Yes we need to question what the causes of death are, and why the specific trends have happened.  That is a matter of opinion, and there may need to be some debate over them.  But a scientific education has meant understanding the difference between primary and secondary effects.  So if deaths were up by two due to the alignment of Mercury and Uranus, or some such matter, that's of little interest.  The dominant factor in 2020 has been COVID-19 without a doubt.

In each case their resistance to the facts has been because they have established a position from wallowing in fake news, and by making false conclusions.  That position often becomes more entrenched by arguing with them.  They dig their heels in. That happens with a view on any matter, not restricted to COVID-19.

Now that's all well and good.  Let them have their opinions.


SO WHY DOES THIS MATTER?

But if we are to win the battle over COVID-19, it can't be undermined by people arguing in public against the facts and well-guided opinions.

Yes we need to discuss the worth of different types of masks, for example, as the experts don't all agree. But the list of risks of COVID-19 should not be in doubt if properly communicated.

Yet the government's public information campaign has been utterly dreadful.  Do this, do that, often contradictory in recent weeks. Little if any explanation.  I still meet people in management positions at premises unaware that COVID-19 is caused by a virus and that is different from a bacteria.  For example, hand sanitisers need to be over 60% alcohol, but many anti-bacterial ones I see in use aren't.

Getting an actor to sneeze

In this video age, where are the public information videos the like of which were seen in the 1950s?  Even this one on coughs and sneezes from the Department of Health in 1945

That is the least we need to do to educate the public.  Common sense is based on experience, and has proved useless when people have not lived with such a virus before.  Education is a must if we are to beat COVID-19.

But any public information campaign will be completely undermined by a small number of people bleating their 'fake news' nonsense at every opportunity.  Whether that is on social media, in print or on the airwaves.

Step forward you communicators and change management experts.  The battle against COVID-19 will be so much easier if we can win the battle against the purveyors of fake news.