President Trump was likely largest driver of COVID-19 misinformation “infodemic” per Cornell University study

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Cornell University

Corona virus misinformation:quantifying sources and themes in the COVID-19‘ infodemic’

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Abstract:

The COVID19 pandemic has unfolded along side what the World Health Organization has termed an “infodemic” of misinformation. This study identifies and analyzes the most prominent topics of COVID related misinformation that emerged in traditional media between January  1 and May 26,2020  based on a total sample of over 38 million articles published in English-language media around the world.  To our knowledge, our analysis is the first comprehensive survey of the traditional and online media landscape on this issue. We found that media mentions of US President Donald Trump within the context of COVID-19 misinformation made up by far the largest share of the infodemic. Trump mentions comprised 37.9% of the overall misinformation conversation, well ahead of any other topics. We conclude that the President of the United States was likely the largest driver of the COVID-19 misinformation “infodemic”. Only 16.4% of the misinformation conversation was “fact-checking” in nature, suggesting that the majority of COVID misinformation is conveyed by the media without question or correction.

 

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Elevating Fringe Theories, Ron Johnson Questions Virus Science

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In choosing a slate of doctors to testify about coronavirus treatments before his committee on Tuesday, Senator Ron Johnson has assembled a cast of witnesses who question much of the public health consensus about the virus.

There is a prominent vaccine skeptic, an outspoken critic of masking and social distancing, and at least two doctors who have promoted the use of an anti-parasitic drug that government scientists have recommended against using to treat the coronavirus.

It is the latest example of how Mr. Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican who has used his powerful investigative panel to amplify groundless accusations pushed by President Trump, has now embraced the role of the Senate’s leading Covid contrarian.

What is wrong with this guy...he seems to be little more than a meat suit full of misinformation. 

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9 hours ago, toomuchbaloney said:

Elevating Fringe Theories, Ron Johnson Questions Virus Science

What is wrong with this guy...he seems to be little more than a meat suit full of misinformation. 

He's from Wisconsin so he should be wearing some cheese with that meat suit.

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21 minutes ago, subee said:

He's from Wisconsin so he should be wearing some cheese with that meat suit.

Brilliant!

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‘We want them infected’: Trump appointee demanded ‘herd immunity’ strategy, emails reveal

A top Trump appointee repeatedly urged top health officials to adopt a "herd immunity" approach to Covid-19 and allow millions of Americans to be infected by the virus, according to internal emails obtained by the House Oversight Committee and shared with POLITICO. https://coronavirus.house.gov/sites/democrats.coronavirus.house.gov/files/2020.07.04 SSCC-0007223-25_Redacted.pdf 

“There is no other way, we need to establish herd, and it only comes about allowing the non-high risk groups expose themselves to the virus. PERIOD," then-science adviser Paul Alexander wrote on July 4 to his boss, Health and Human Services assistant secretary for public affairs Michael Caputo, and six other senior officials. "Infants, kids, teens, young people, young adults, middle aged with no conditions etc. have zero to little risk….so we use them to develop herd…we want them infected…" Alexander added...   https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000176-6c84-d0c3-ab77-7d9fa0ed0000 

...   Alexander also argued that colleges should stay open to allow Covid-19 infections to spread, lamenting in a July 27 email to Centers for Disease Control Director Robert Redfield that “we essentially took off the battlefield the most potent weapon we had...younger healthy people, children, teens, young people who we needed to fastly [sic] infect themselves, spread it around, develop immunity, and help stop the spread.”...   https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000176-6c85-d0c3-ab77-7d9fbfb50000

https://www.MSN.com/en-us/news/politics/e2-80-98we-want-them-infected-e2-80-99-trump-appointee-demanded-e2-80-98herd-immunity-e2-80-99-strategy-emails-reveal/ar-BB1bZ5h3 

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 Should you get the COVID-19 vaccine if you've already had COVID-19? We asked doctors 

We asked area infectious disease experts  and frontline COVID-19 healthcare givers, "If you or a friend or colleague or family member had COVID-19 already, would you get or tell them to get the vaccine anyway?"

Dr. Stephen Blatt, medical director for infectious diseases at TriHealth answered, "Yes. I would recommend that anyone who has already had COVID infection get a vaccine. The reason is that natural infection immunity seems to wear out after two to three months. We are hoping that the vaccine will provide longer lasting immunity. So far, the antibody responses to the vaccine seem to last longer than the antibody responses to natural infection. 

"For our health care workers, we are going to recommend the vaccine even if they had the disease. We may prioritize those health care workers a little later in the priority list if they have had natural infection in the past three months."...

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/2020/12/15/should-you-get-covid-19-vaccine-if-youve-already-had-virus/6538889002/

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12 hours ago, herring_RN said:

Dr. Stephen Blatt, medical director for infectious diseases at TriHealth answered, "Yes. I would recommend that anyone who has already had COVID infection get a vaccine. The reason is that natural infection immunity seems to wear out after two to three months. We are hoping that the vaccine will provide longer lasting immunity. So far, the antibody responses to the vaccine seem to last longer than the antibody responses to natural infection. 
 

See the "hoping" part is why I'm waiting. I need some solid facts before I take that vax.

13 hours ago, herring_RN said:

‘We want them infected’: Trump appointee demanded ‘herd immunity’ strategy, emails reveal

A top Trump appointee repeatedly urged top health officials to adopt a "herd immunity" approach to Covid-19 and allow millions of Americans to be infected by the virus, according to internal emails obtained by the House Oversight Committee and shared with POLITICO. https://coronavirus.house.gov/sites/democrats.coronavirus.house.gov/files/2020.07.04 SSCC-0007223-25_Redacted.pdf 

“There is no other way, we need to establish herd, and it only comes about allowing the non-high risk groups expose themselves to the virus. PERIOD," then-science adviser Paul Alexander wrote on July 4 to his boss, Health and Human Services assistant secretary for public affairs Michael Caputo, and six other senior officials. "Infants, kids, teens, young people, young adults, middle aged with no conditions etc. have zero to little risk….so we use them to develop herd…we want them infected…" Alexander added...   https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000176-6c84-d0c3-ab77-7d9fa0ed0000 

...   Alexander also argued that colleges should stay open to allow Covid-19 infections to spread, lamenting in a July 27 email to Centers for Disease Control Director Robert Redfield that “we essentially took off the battlefield the most potent weapon we had...younger healthy people, children, teens, young people who we needed to fastly [sic] infect themselves, spread it around, develop immunity, and help stop the spread.”...   https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000176-6c85-d0c3-ab77-7d9fbfb50000

https://www.MSN.com/en-us/news/politics/e2-80-98we-want-them-infected-e2-80-99-trump-appointee-demanded-e2-80-98herd-immunity-e2-80-99-strategy-emails-reveal/ar-BB1bZ5h3 

This is tantamount to genocide. I think everyone who was on this email and said/done nothing should be charged with all the resulting deaths that occurred after this email, and those before if they were in the know and failed to do anything. There is no excuse for this!

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12 minutes ago, NurseBlaq said:

See the "hoping" part is why I'm waiting. I need some solid facts before I take that vax.

This is tantamount to genocide. I think everyone who was on this email and said/done nothing should be charged with all the resulting deaths that occurred after this email, and those before if they were in the know and failed to do anything. There is no excuse for this!

I don't understand why hoping (as the data suggests we should) that the vaccine acquired immunity may last substantially longer than disease mediated immunity.  We only maintain natural immunity to most of the coronoviruses for months.  This technology could change that in important ways. 

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6 minutes ago, toomuchbaloney said:

I don't understand why hoping (as the data suggests we should) that the vaccine acquired immunity may last substantially longer than disease mediated immunity.  We only maintain natural immunity to most of the coronoviruses for months.  This technology could change that in important ways. 

I want solid evidence it works. I already addressed this in another thread so I won't hijack this one going down that path. I don't want it, I want more evidence. Hoping and "could change" aren't evidence. I'll wait until more is known.

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2 hours ago, NurseBlaq said:

I want solid evidence it works. I already addressed this in another thread so I won't hijack this one going down that path. I don't want it, I want more evidence. Hoping and "could change" aren't evidence. I'll wait until more is known.

There is solid evidence that the vaccine works with a greater than 90% effectiveness. The data suggests that the immunity is much more durable than that acquired from disease, that is a good reason to be hopeful, IMV.

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19 hours ago, toomuchbaloney said:

There is solid evidence that the vaccine works with a greater than 90% effectiveness. The data suggests that the immunity is much more durable than that acquired from disease, that is a good reason to be hopeful, IMV.

I see your POV but that information came from the people who created the vax. Now that it's being given to the public I'll wait on the unbiased data. Having said that, even the creators don't know the length of immunity and all the possible side effects. I'm not sold on this vax so I'll wait.

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Tucker Carlson claims vaccine campaign 'feels false, because it is'

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Fox News' Tucker Carlson defied scientific consensus to sow doubt about Covid-19 vaccine efforts. In large clinical trials, the vaccine has been determined safe and effective.

While 89 yo Rupert Murdoch received the COVID-19 vaccine in England.

 

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