NewsLiteracyWeek: Study shows 3 out of 4 Americans believe or unsure about at least one false COVID-19 statement
Editor’s Note: This story is part of Scripps’ National News Literacy Week. This campaign promotes news literacy as a fundamental life skill for America to have an educated and empowered populace.Over the past two years, experts told News 5 rampant and problematic misinformation has made its way into the mainstream and is impacting individuals’ knowledge when it comes to the coronavirus.
“What was really striking to me was how widespread it was,” said Ashley Kirzinger, director of survey methodology at KFF. “I think what we know is that misinformation around health care topics isn't anything new, but the environment around the COVID-19 pandemic has really kind of made it much more widespread than I think anyone initially thought.
Dr. Kenneth Remy, a pediatric and adult critical care physician with UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, remembers when the most common correction he used to make to patients was about how the flu vaccine does not cause the flu. Nowadays, he told News 5 there’s a daily battle with informing and correcting patients about something they heard or read online about COVID-19.