Misinformation

Context matters: Canada’s guidance on alcohol and health needs a rethink

The public should be given the right information to understand the risks associated with alcohol consumption. But Canada's new drinking guidelines leave something to be desired.

Beware the ‘Kraken’ – but for a different, official reason

The nickname “Kraken” for the XBB.1.5. subvariant of COVID-19 Omicron does not arise from any mandated agency or authority and incites undue fear. When the tentacle wags the giant squid, the media undermine their own credibility as honest arbiters of facts.

Debunking the myth of immunity debt

Immunity debt is an attractive concept. But there is little evidence for it as an explanation for the resurgence in pediatric respiratory infections.

The Faces & Phases of COVID-19

The Faces/Phases Project is a portrait of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Through a series of data visualizations, we cover the first two years of the pandemic.

Trust is essential to a functioning social safety net: Lessons from the pandemic

For those who already felt disconnected from the health-care systems and policy-makers, the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated lack of trust in health care and public messaging.

‘Violating Nature’s Health Laws’: How an eccentric early 20th century influencer set the stage for the COVID infodemic

Recognizing historical influences is just the start of tackling the social underpinnings of the infodemic. We must shed the legacy of the idea that a sick person ‘deserved it as a penalty for violating Nature’s health laws.

What we can learn from the evolution of guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic

The only absolute in science is that there are no absolutes. Throughout the pandemic, recommendations have changed based on new data. For the public, this may come across as flip-flopping, but in actuality, it is simply that we are making the best decisions possible in the current context.

‘We will not hide out of fear’: Open letter speaks out against harassment

Physicians and other health-care workers have been subject to harassment and intimidation for doing their day-to-day work during the pandemic explains Dr. Kaplan-Myrth, who recently penned an open letter asserting why health professionals should not hide out of fear of violence from hate-fueled convoys.

Let evidence be our guide: Misinformation most insidious when it comes from health-care professionals

Misinformation comes in many forms, but perhaps it is most harmful when it is produced by a health-care professional and published in a respected national newspaper.

Enough with the harassment: How to deal with anti-vax cults

The anti-vaxxers who protested outside of my own home because I'm a medical officer of health demonstrate cultish behaviour. Here's how we counter them.

Burlington doctor uses her online voice to ease public’s fears and influence policy

Family physician Jennifer Kwan launched a Twitter campaign to educate Ontarians about the pandemic and vaccinations and to combat the spread of misinformation. We're profiling her as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.

No amount of rhetoric will immunize vaccine disbelievers. The virus might

This week, I voted, which is a privilege I did not have in my home country. As controversial as this untimely election has been and as thorny the issues at stake are, I was glad to see the main parties concur on one thing – unless you have a sound medical reason, get vaccinated.

Communication must become an essential component of the science education curriculum

Misinformation and the politicization of science have been huge barriers to vanquishing COVID-19. It's time universities reconsidered how science is taught and communicated.

When hope kills: Social media’s false promises to cancer patients

Our columnist explains how following her cancer diagnosis, Facebook’s advertising algorithms began targeting her for cancer ads from quacks selling fake cures. We must hold these snake-oil salesmen accountable while teaching people how to not be persuaded by fake solutions.

Health Care in Hues: Confusion remains a pandemic threat

Mixed messaging has been rampant throughout the pandemic and continues today. This has threatened public confidence in political and scientific leadership.

Social media behaviour ‘a thermometer’ of mental health

As social media increasingly dominates day-to-day life, it’s not uncommon to see a sudden shift in a friend or family member’s online behaviour. The change in attitude may be an indicator of an emerging or reoccurring mental health issue.

Leading by example: Nurses launch vaccination campaign

Canada’s largest nurses’ organization is launching a national campaign to encourage vaccination against COVID-19 and dispel mistrust and misinformation about vaccines.

Broad-brush criticisms ignore benefits of integrative medicine

Dear critics of integrative medicine, some of your critiques do have merit. But we do not support demonizing an evolving field of health care that could significantly improve patient outcomes.

An open letter to Alternative Medicine

Please, Alternative Medicine, stop using untrue assertions to justify your existence. You can’t fix the problems of the conventional system with unproven therapies and misinformation.

Proposed guidelines on alternative medicine must be enforced to stem the tide of misinformation

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario doesn't go far enough in updates it is making to its policy about doctors' use of alternative medicine.