publishUpdated May 4th, 2021, 11:40 am
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the spread of wrong information has increased exponentially. With so many people using social media networking sites, how can health officials win the fight against misinformation?
A study published earlier this month in the peer-reviewed Journal of Medical Internet Research revealed that an AI algorithm could track conspiracy theories. Such a machine learning tool may be a suitable opponent for widespread misinformation.
The infodemic, as labeled by the World Health Organization, can become dangerous. New research showed that almost 6,000 people were admitted to a hospital, while around 800 could have died due to misinformation. “During a health crisis, when many things become uncertain, and people are feeling extremely anxious, the spread of false information can become deadly,” WHO explained.
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PHILADELPHIA - Belief in conspiracies about the COVID-19 pandemic increased through the early months of the U.S. outbreak among people who reported being heavy users of conservative and social media, a study by Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) researchers has found.
Prior APPC research found that people who regularly used conservative or social media during the early months of the pandemic were more likely to report believing in a group of COVID-19 conspiracies. The current study expands on that, finding that a reliance on conservative or social media actually predicted an increase in conspiracy beliefs from March to July 2020.
Health care for seniors in rural Texas is in jeopardy
Texas is getting older while health care access in rural areas becomes more sparse. But the internet can help.
Gavino Saldivar of DeSoto lifts his sleeve up before receiving an influenza vaccine from Barbara Davis, a registered nurse, at a mobile immunization clinic hosted by Dallas County Health and Human Services at the DeSoto Senior Center in DeSoto Feb. 20, 2018.(Andy Jacobsohn / Staff Photographer)
By Sallie Sherman
Due to demographic shifts, equitable health care access in rural areas of Texas is in jeopardy.
Recent census counts show the population is getting older while seniors are experiencing higher rates of depression (up 71%) and obesity (up 34%), according to the United Health Foundation. These trends are amplified in rural populations (especially along the U.S.-Mexico border and in the Panhandle), which are older and experience worse health outcomes than their urban counterparts. Many rural hospitals have clo
Four Trends Facing The Healthcare Industry Post-Pandemic forbes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from forbes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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“Fitness snacking” with brief bursts of exercise can help you reestablish a workout routine, says an expert.
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Has the COVID-19 pandemic put you in a workout slump? If your fitness habits aren’t what they used to be, rest assured you’re in good company.
A growing body of evidence shows that the pandemic has profoundly changed how much people exercise, not only in the United States but around the world. In a study published in November 2020 in the
Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers found that, based on more than 19 million smartphone-based, step-counting measurements taken from January 19 to June 1, 2020, physical activity levels dropped dramatically in many countries after the pandemic struck.