When you have confusion, people make bad decisions and we have to divert precious resources towards stamping out misinformation. “These theories not based in science now have a conduit to get out to the world so easily. “Social media amplifies misinformation in a way we’ve never seen before,” Rimoin said. No evidence exists for such a link, public health experts say.Ĭowan is one of numerous health professionals who used medical credentials to put forth false theories during the coronavirus pandemic.Ĭonspiracy theories like Cowan’s erode public trust, create confusion, and undermine public health, said Anne Rimoin, a UCLA epidemiologist. The misguided attempt to link the pandemic to telecommunications networks grows out of larger fears that 5G could increase cancer risk. COVID-19 cases have been reported in countries that do not yet have 5G. The World Health Organization notes on its “mythbusters” website that the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 cannot travel over radio waves or mobile networks. It has had real-world effects: numerous attacks on 5G towers have been reported in Europe and Latin America. YouTube removed the video as part of its effort to crack down on pandemic misinformation - but not until it was amplified by celebrities with large social media followings, including Woody Harrelson and John Cusack.ĭespite numerous debunkings by public health experts, the 5G pandemic conspiracy theory has taken hold worldwide and has proven particularly hard to combat. The state agency, which regulates and disciplines California doctors, made the license surrender public on Thursday.Ĭowan first publicized his discredited theory that 5G internet networks cause COVID-19 in a YouTube video that went viral last March. “I will no longer be able to order tests, write prescriptions, make diagnoses or offer treatment plans…I am looking forward to a new way of interacting with my friends, previously known as patients.”Ĭowan surrendered his license on Dec. “I simply see too much to be willing to function as a physician in the medical system at this time,” Cowan wrote. He could not be reached for comment today. Cowan wrote on his website that he closed his practice June 30 and would “relinquish” his license with plans to reemerge as an “unlicensed health coach.” He would move to the East Coast to be near family and would continue to sell herbal supplements online, he added.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |