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Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, who called for greater "stronger, stricter" measures during the Covid pandemic, has said greater investments are needed to counter "mis- and disinformation" related to Covid-19.
"This is the pandemic that is occurring in full-on social media age," Tam said during an interview with Global News, adding that, "all of us had to learn how to deal with that as the pandemic evolved, and it's not easy."
She went on to suggest that public health officials "need to invest more in countering mis- and disinformation," noting that people are often less willing to trust governments and will thus turn to alternative sources of information
Tam, who advocated for masking up while jogging to protect from Covid, at one point referring to the rise in "misinformation" as an "infodemic."
"Public health needs to be better at communicating in a way that resonates with people as much as those who may be against the vaccinations [resonate] with people always concerned about safety and effectiveness," she said.
Tam went on to state that despite the fact that many Canadians are "fed up" with the pandemic, the government still sought to push further vaccines with the assistance of "trusted voices," and "community leaders."
We have relied on technology and information-sharing platforms to keep us safe, informed, and connected," she wrote in one of her weekly updates. "At the same time, these platforms have contributed to an overabundance of information - an infodemic - that worsens the current pandemic by allowing false information to circulate more easily, hampering public health responses, creating confusion and distrust, and ultimately, making it more difficult for people to make vital decisions about their health and safety."
Throughout the pandemic, Canadians were exposed to constantly changing information; advice often changed on a weekly basis, making one day's misinformation the next day's recommendation.
Those who shared views on social media that went counter to the government's position were frequently met with harsh consequences and ostracization.
"This is the pandemic that is occurring in full-on social media age," Tam said during an interview with Global News, adding that, "all of us had to learn how to deal with that as the pandemic evolved, and it's not easy."
She went on to suggest that public health officials "need to invest more in countering mis- and disinformation," noting that people are often less willing to trust governments and will thus turn to alternative sources of information
Tam, who advocated for masking up while jogging to protect from Covid, at one point referring to the rise in "misinformation" as an "infodemic."
"Public health needs to be better at communicating in a way that resonates with people as much as those who may be against the vaccinations [resonate] with people always concerned about safety and effectiveness," she said.
Tam went on to state that despite the fact that many Canadians are "fed up" with the pandemic, the government still sought to push further vaccines with the assistance of "trusted voices," and "community leaders."
We have relied on technology and information-sharing platforms to keep us safe, informed, and connected," she wrote in one of her weekly updates. "At the same time, these platforms have contributed to an overabundance of information - an infodemic - that worsens the current pandemic by allowing false information to circulate more easily, hampering public health responses, creating confusion and distrust, and ultimately, making it more difficult for people to make vital decisions about their health and safety."
Throughout the pandemic, Canadians were exposed to constantly changing information; advice often changed on a weekly basis, making one day's misinformation the next day's recommendation.
Those who shared views on social media that went counter to the government's position were frequently met with harsh consequences and ostracization.
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