Coronavirus and misinformation

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By Bob Hembree
Lake Powell Chronicle

PAGE – County Supervisor Lena Fowler and Navajo Parks and Recreation Manager Effie Yazzie met with Navajo Nation staff and Navajo tour operators. The topic was the coronavirus.


A presentation was given by the Navajo Nation Division of Health, Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation, Page Banner Hospital, and the Coconino County Health Department. The purpose of the meeting was to educate, but it also helped dispel some of the misinformation circulating.


Some of the questions brought up were concerns about animals in the area. Explanations were given about the virus’s mutations, which continue, and that it has become a human virus. Others were concerned about handling money that may transmit the virus. This is unlikely.


The coronavirus, while wildly publicized, has not risen to a serious threat in Arizona, though the potential is still there. As of today, there is only one confirmed incident in the state, an Arizona State University student who had recently returned from the presumed source area Wuhan, China.


According to a Feb. 11 Washington Post story, the spread of misinformation is spreading much wider and faster than the virus, likening it to the Russian fire hose strategy. University of Washington researchers Carl T. Bergstrom told the Post, “The idea is to put out so much (bad) information that people feel as if they can’t get to the truth. That creates a kind of power vacuum that leads to what, I guess, is in the interest of certain regimes. If you can go from 1 percent of the population believing nutty conspiracies to 5 percent, that’s a win.” Bergstrom suggests that disruption of commerce in rival countries is endgame for hostile regimes.


Though the coronavirus is not fully understood, and not nearly as dangerous as the current strains of flu, it’s important to monitor. Because viruses mutate, the potential for more contagious strains is always a concern. The best practices for everyone are the same: wash hands often, cover mouth when coughing, keep things clean and if sick, stay home.