UNBC staff warns public of false COVID-19 information

With COVID-19 Safety Tips almost everywhere, UNBC’s Health Science’s Librarian, Trina Fyfe warns the public to be on the lookout for misinformation.

A recent list entitled “Wisdom from Dr. Bonnie Henry” has been circulating social media over the past week.

This 16-item list contains false and unsubstantiated statements claiming to be those of Dr. Henry, B.C.‘s provincial health officer (PHO).

This is a provincial example of a much larger problem occurring worldwide called disinformation.

Fyfe added, “After reading the list of wise words from Dr. Henry, I became skeptical because some of the statements were contradictory to the messages that we have been hearing from the Provincial Health Office for the past four and a half months. In B.C., we have become quite enamored with Dr. Henry and have, for the most part, been following her orders. So, how were we so easily swayed to share this list?”

One of the false safety tips stated that wearing masks for a long period of time can affect oxygen levels, which has been proved false by researchers and clinical experts.

Fyfe included some ways to ensure the information you are reading is real, like visiting Canada’s Centre for Digital and Media Literacy approach, which advocates a “Check First, Share After” initiative.

She also advised looking at government websites, such as the BC Centre for Disease Control.

To visit Canada’s Centre for Digital Media Literacy and learn more about identifying misinformation Click here.