Covidpedialabs.com confronts ‘infodemic’ spread by Fox News, social media

WASHINGTON, D.C., USA, October 5, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Misinformation about the COVID-19 virus is an “infodemic,” according to the World Health Organization, with one medical expert calling it worse than the virus itself. A new online platform aims to counteract false and misleading claims that are spreading widely on social media, and other outlets by providing reliable, evidence-based information about the Coronavirus and the vaccines.

Covidpedialabs.com is a one-stop resource for members of the public, journalists, and the medical community to get answers to their questions from reputable sources about the pandemic and vaccines. The independent site, created by experienced public policy professionals in partnership with a former journalist and medical experts, uses the most recent Media Bias Chart^® to curate and filter out unreliable content so users can make confident, informed choices. The site is offered as a public service free of charge.

“Misinformation, disinformation and outright lies being spread about COVID-19 and the vaccines are literally killing people,” said Dee Sandhu, founder of Covidpedia Labs. “We created Covidpedia Labs to be a ‘safe harbor’ for people to get the facts about the virus, the vaccines and many related issues. We intend to collaborate with medical experts, journalists and opinion leaders to grow the platform to become a dependable, authoritative source of COVID-19 information and research.”

The World Health Organization has said that the coronavirus disease is the first pandemic in history in which technology and social media are being used on a massive scale to keep people safe, informed, productive, and connected. “At the same time, the technology we rely on to keep connected and informed is enabling and amplifying an infodemic that continues to undermine the global response and jeopardizes measures to control the pandemic,” the WHO said in a statement. “Misinformation costs lives.”

Covidpedialabs.com was founded to help counteract this growing culture of misinformation that has caused widespread resistance to vaccination and safe practices. The site is updated daily with the latest research and information about the pandemic in clear, accessible language, and has very high standards to only present verified, reliable information so people can make healthy, informed choices.

“We have NBA stars spreading false information that vaccines contain microchips,” said Sandhu. “The host of the leading television network regularly questions the effectiveness of the vaccine with false and misleading information. The fictitious claims by a self-promoting entrepreneur and anti-vaxer, Steve Kirsch, who told an FDA committee that vaccines kill more people than they save, misinformed millions of people on Facebook and other social media channels.

“I simply could not sit by and watch the facts about this pandemic get twisted and distorted while the number of people dying from this terrible virus continues to grow,” Sandhu continued. “It’s imperative for all of us in the public policy and communications fields to do all we can to confront and counteract this tragic problem, and I hope many of them will join us to spread the truth about COVID-19 and help save lives.”

Sandhu has spent her professional career in strategic communications and public policy with a focus on international affairs. She is a former Director of Public Affairs for Ogilvy, the worldwide marketing, advertising, and PR firm, and led communication strategy for many healthcare initiatives and a pan-European public health coalition in the disease area of COPD.

Serving as a consultant on the project is a former journalist with decades of experience in PR, communication, and public policy. Dennis Bailey has worked for a variety of publications and served as communications director for Gov. Angus King (I-ME), now a U.S. Senator. He has a BA in journalism and a master’s degree in strategic public relations from George Washington University.

Covidpedia Labs is partnered with the Pandemic Action Network, the Task Force for Global Health, and Voices for Vaccines, and relies on the expertise of numerous prominent medical experts (listed on the website).

For more information or to interview Dee Sandhu, contact her at 415.942.4594 or dee@covidpedialabs.com

Dee Sandhu
Covidpedia Labs
+1 415-942-4594
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