https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-52474347 This article explores different sources of misinformation regarding the pandemic from internet pranksters to the U.S President, concerned moms and celebrities
Here’s how the Chinese are depicting the American response to Covid-19. They get Trump’s proclamations right, but on the other hand they left out the story of Li Wenliang and other Chinese heroes. This illustrates the problems that arise when we anthropomorphize countries. Not a good idea.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/29/health/california-doctors-coronavirus-claims/index.html A news conference by two California doctors who downplay the threat of COVID-19 and encourage reopening of the cities has recently gone viral. The doctors who are not epidemiologist and who run urgent care centers in Bakersfield used non-peer reviewed data to make their case against shelter in place order. The two have featured on … Read more
A must-read. Here is a group of medical scientists explaining in lay person’s language why the tried-and-true methods established to determine “death rates” (more accurately case fatality rates) are necessary before making policy decisions based on reports based on faulty methods. The upshot: in this case, politicians will be well served using the best scientific … Read more
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-52224331 The article provides a snapshot of the cold war being fought between U.S and China during the COVID-19 pandemic crises. Both countries have been accusing one and another for the origin of the virus. The tensions move into a new phase as President Trump recently announced that U.S was going to halt funding for … Read more
This article in the New York Times observes that the effects of conspiracy theories surrounding Coronavirus may actually outlast the impact of the pandemic. The author highlights how feelings of uncertainty and disquiet over the virus foment conspiracy theories as almost a way of coping, addressing this topic from an interesting phycological perspective.
This article reports on Trump’s claim that comments he made at a briefing on Thursday were meant “sarcastically”. These comments included suggesting that injections of bleach or antiseptics may be a good treatment for COVID-19 or that irradiating patients with UV light would be a good idea. Both of these statements are factually incorrect and … Read more
These are two articles from CNN and the New York Times that talk about the influence of COVID-19 on the anti-vax movement. While there are still several people who staunchly oppose vaccines, as this person recently tweeted, there are some who are rethinking their stance, given the severity of the pandemic.
Bill Gates warned of the potential for a devastating pandemic like this years ago, and in February he stated that coronavirus was precisely the kind of threat that he feared could inflict great harm on a global scale. He has subsequently been the target of a variety of conspiracy theories, some of which accuse him … Read more
News Captioning In CNN broadcasts of daily News, it is normal to have subscripts and captions to explain to viewers the intent of the broadcast if they are joining late, or simply following along. For example, when sharing the weather or traffic, a sub-caption like “Weekly Weather Report for Rhode Island Area” might display below … Read more
