U.S. COVID-19 misinformation could bring a lot more trouble than people expect. As of the moment, around one-third of the residents in the United States are still unvaccinated.
Vivek Murthy, nominee for U.S. Surgeon General, testifies at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee February 25, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. Murthy also served as Surgeon General in the Obama and Trump administrations.
The misinformation about the novel coronavirus is being fought by various social media platforms, especially Facebook. Now, the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warned the public that COVID-19 misinformation could be an urgent threat if it is not solved as soon as possible.
The government official released his first advisory under U.S. President Joe Biden this Thursday, July 15. He said that COVID-19 misinformation could be a major threat in the country since it can put lives at risk and prolong the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Murthy also called out the public to do their part in their fight against medical misinformation. This means that residents must avoid sharing posts that are not reliable, especially those content about COVID-19.
U.S. COVID-19 Misinformation As A Major Threat?
According to NPR's latest report, the U.S. Surgeon General said that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic revealed how misinformation could badly affect many lives.
A healthcare worker administers a coronavirus test to a patient at the Lee Davis Community Resource Center on June 25, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. The USF Health system partnered with the Hillsborough County Government to provide coronavirus testing at several location sites throughout the county.
His advisory is an alarming one since surgeon general advisories are only announced if there are significant public health challenges, which demand immediate actions in the United States.
The government official also reiterated that the best way that people can do right now is to stop sharing posts that medical experts do not support.
"If you're not sure, not sharing is often the prudent thing to do," he added.
This is not the first time that the nation fought against misinformation in times of health crisis. The U.S. also dealt with unreliable social media posts during the peak of AIDS or HIV.
However, Murthy said that the COVID-19 pandemic is different from other misinformation scenarios since it could endanger many residents.
His statement is currently important, especially since there are new strains that suddenly appeared. One of them is the COVID-19 Delta variant, which CDC recently believed could be the most dominant strain.
COVID-19 Cases In the U.S. Are Still Rising
AP News reported that the COVID-19 cases in the United States are still rising. Medical experts announced that the daily number of infections doubled for the past three weeks.
They confirmed that the average daily COVID-19 cases increased from 23,600 to 11,300 a day on June 23. As of the moment, the U.S. government is trying its best to vaccinate all its residents. Around 55.6% of all Americans already received their first vaccine shots.
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Written by: Griffin Davis
